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A regional court in East Africa opened proceedings on Thursday in a case filed by Congo against neighboring Rwanda, accusing it of violating Congo's sovereignty and territorial integrity by sending troops to help rebels in the country's east.
Eastern Congo has struggled with armed violence as more than 120 groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities. Some armed groups have been accused of mass killings.
Congo alleges that Rwandan forces have been involved in aggression and war crimes in the east. In July, U.N. experts estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwanda government forces are deployed in eastern Congo alongside the M23 rebel group, which has been making major advances.
The East African Court of Justice, based in Arusha, Tanzania, was established as a regional court under a 1999 treaty among a group of east African nations and is meant to hear cases from Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The court has been ratified by the United Nations.
The proceedings came a day after Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi called for sanctions against Rwanda at the U.N General Assembly, alleging it supports the M23 rebels in the restive eastern region.
In the lawsuit, Congo seeks to hold Rwanda accountable for violations including atrocities against civilians and breaches of international law, and also secure reparations for the victims of these alleged crimes.
The lawsuit underscores the long-running tensions between the two countries, particularly over the mineral-rich eastern Congo.
“We are happy the case has taken off,” the lawyer representing Congo, Elisha Ongoya, told The Associated Press.
Rwanda raised objections, questioning the court's jurisdiction in the case. Its lawyer, Emile Ntwali, urged for the case to be dismissed since the regional court does not handle criminal matters.
Ntwali also pointed out procedural mistakes, such as Congo's failure to translate court documents into English, the official language of the court.
Congo’s legal team asked the court to be allowed to submit new evidence and translated documents.
Presiding Judge Yohanne Masara said the court would review each side's arguments and deliver a ruling on the objections at a later date.
