The African Court on Human Rights has jurisdiction to hear the DRC-Rwanda case

Kinshasa, June 26^th, 2025, (CPA) – The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has declared itself competent to hear the DRC-Rwanda case concerning crimes committed by the Rwandan army in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in a verdict handed down on Wednesday in Arusha, the capital of Tanzania. ‘The court rejects the objection of lack of jurisdiction raised by the defendant and declares itself competent to hear this case,’ said Senior Judge Rafaa Ben Achour in reading his ruling. The court also ordered Rwanda to file its submissions on the merits of the case within ninety (90) days. Once this has been done, the DRC will have 45 days to submit its response before the court rules on the merits of the case.  Deputy Minister in charge of Justice Samuel Mbemba, who was present in Arusha, said he was satisfied with this preliminary ruling, according to a publication by the Ministry in charge of Justice of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: « The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has declared itself competent and ruled that the DRC’s application is admissible, which is another victory for the DRC against Rwanda”. It should be recalled that the trial between the DRC and Rwanda before the ACHPR began in February 2025 in Arusha, Tanzania. The DRC had accused Rwanda of human rights violations in the east of the country, including inhumane treatment, torture and summary executions, as well as human trafficking. The DRC also accused Rwanda of supporting armed groups and committing atrocities against the civilian population, as well as supporting the terrorist group AFC-M23, which continues to commit abuses against the Congolese people and plunder natural resources. For its part, Rwanda had challenged the jurisdiction of the Court and requested that the DRC’s application be dismissed, an issue that is no longer relevant in view of the ruling handed down to date. This trial for the DRC aims to establish Rwanda’s responsibility for human rights violations in eastern Congo, which will put an end to Rwanda’s impunity.