The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a case against Rwanda at the International Court of Justice over its role in the long-running conflict in the east. Congo accused Rwanda of breaching international conventions, including those on genocide, racial discrimination, and torture.

Alleged Crimes

Congo said the alleged crimes committed against civilians included massacres, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, forced displacement, and discrimination spanning over three decades. Congo said Rwanda had dispatched forces and backed or directed armed groups to carry out unlawful military operations on its territory following the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Congo is calling for the ICJ to order Rwanda to cease the alleged violations and award reparations to Congo and its victims. There was no immediate response from the Rwandan government. Rwanda has consistently denied allegations that it backs any rebel groups operating in Congo.

International Response

U.N. experts and Western governments have sided with Congo in finding Rwanda responsible for providing support to M23, a major armed group in the east. The decades-long conflict is rooted in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, after remnants of the forces associated with the genocide fled across the border into eastern Congo.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.