Arusha, 10 February 2025: The African Court on Human & Peoples’ Rights (the Court/AfCHPR) will on Wednesday, 12 February and Thursday 13 February 2025, hold a Public Hearing in the matter of the Democratic Republic of Congo v Republic of Rwanda (Application 007/2023) at the seat of the Court in Arusha – United Republic of Tanzania, from 9:30AM (East African Time).
On 21 August 2023, the Democratic Republic of Congo (the Applicant State) filed an Application against the Republic of Rwanda alleging violations of rights and obligations under, among others, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Charter), the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Charter) on Women’s Rights, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
The alleged violations are in relation to the armed conflict, since 2021, in the eastern part of the Applicant State between its armed forces and M23 rebel group supposedly backed by the Respondent State.
The Applicant State claims this has caused massacre, occupation of several areas, mass displacement of 520,000 people, a cholera epidemic, and destruction of schools thereby depriving 20,000 children of education, destruction of infrastructure such as electricity supply facilities, and the looting and destruction of agricultural infrastructure homes and health centers. It also alleges that the Respondent State harbors individuals accused of serious crimes, and against whom its courts have issued international arrest warrants.
The Applicant State asks the Court to hold the Respondent State responsible, order troop withdrawal, end support for M23, and provide reparations for damages and victims.
The Respondent State has raised objections to the jurisdiction of the Court and to the admissibility of the Application.
The Public Hearing has been scheduled to hear the Parties arguments on jurisdiction of the Court and admissibility of the Application.(source the African Court website available at https://www.african-court.org/wpafc/african-court-on-human-and-peoples-rights-to-hold-a-public-hearing-in-application-no-007-2023-democratic-republic-of-congo-v-republic-of-rwanda-12-and-13-february-2025/)
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