Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former presidential candidate, has welcomed the Democratic Republic of Congo’s submission of a case against Rwanda to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a statement released on social media, he described the move as a crucial step toward truth and justice for victims of the conflict in eastern DRC.
Mukwege commended the Congolese authorities for pursuing this legal avenue to denounce alleged violations of international law attributed to Rwanda.
“We welcome the filing of the application submitted to the International Court of Justice by the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals of the DRC, denouncing the violations of international law and human rights committed by Rwanda directly and through the armed groups under its control (AFDL, RCD, CNDP, M23/AFC) in the DRC from 1996 to the present day,” he wrote in response to the government’s action.
While supporting this proceeding before the UN’s highest judicial body for settling disputes between states, Mukwege argued that other judicial mechanisms must also be activated to establish the individual criminal responsibility of alleged perpetrators of international crimes.
“In addition to this ICJ proceeding, we continue to urge the International Criminal Court to pursue its investigations and prosecutions to establish individual criminal responsibility for alleged perpetrators of crimes under the Rome Statute, prioritizing accountability for military and political chains of command,” Mukwege pleaded.
The former presidential candidate also called on states to apply the principle of universal jurisdiction to prosecute individuals suspected of international crimes. He further urged the Congolese government to implement a national transitional justice strategy.
“Finally, we call on states to exercise the principle of universal jurisdiction and the Congolese government to implement a national transitional justice strategy, including the establishment of a special criminal tribunal for the Congo as proposed by the UN Mapping Report,” Mukwege added.
For the Nobel Peace Prize winner, the pursuit of justice remains an essential tool to prevent future conflicts and build lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“There is an urgent need to establish the close links between conflict prevention, transitional justice, and peace consolidation,” he emphasized.
According to the Minister of State for Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Guillaume Ngefa Atondoko Andali, who filed the application at the ICJ in The Hague, the DRC expresses full confidence in the court and reaffirms its determination to let the law prevail over force, obtain justice for victims of crimes committed on its soil, and work toward a just, lasting peace based on accountability.
Since the resurgence of the AFC/M23 and the intensification of Rwandan aggression in eastern DRC, Congolese authorities have stated that their response will not be limited to military and diplomatic fronts. President Félix Tshisekedi has repeatedly called on the government to strengthen the international legal front to obtain reparations for damages suffered, prosecute alleged perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and systematically document the looting of the DRC’s natural resources.
