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Belgian envoy in DRC suggests pursuit of ICJ complaint against Rwanda

A combination of file pictures of DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame. (Photos: AFP)

By Mwangi Maina | 22 Apr 2024

Belgian envoy Roxane de Bilderling says more should be done to hold Rwanda to account amid an escalating crisis in eastern DRC.

Belgium's ambassador to the DRC has suggested that Kinshasa file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Rwanda's alleged disregard for its borders.

This recommendation was made during a meeting on Friday to evaluate the escalating crisis in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Rwanda accused of fueling tensions and backing the M23 rebels.

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Such a move could further strain the tense relationship between Kigali and Brussels, especially considering Belgium's rejection of Vincent Karega as Rwanda's ambassador-designate nine months earlier.

Karega, who was expelled from Kinshasa as Rwandan ambassador, was expected to take up the post after his appointment by President Paul Kagame last March to replace Dieudonne Sebashongore.

At a meeting of foreign diplomats in the eastern city of Goma, Belgian envoy Roxane de Bilderling said more should be done to hold Rwanda to account.

"Another way of exerting pressure is for the Congo to lodge a complaint with the International Court of Justice for failure to respect international borders," she said, referring to Rwanda.

Observers say it is quite extraordinary for an envoy of a foreign state to issue such remarks against a state with which they are not in conflict.

It seems Belgium and other like-minded European countries have disregarded diplomatic caution, potentially risking detrimental effects on their relations with Rwanda.

It remains to be seen how Rwanda will respond to this diplomatic development, considering President Kagame's significant regional and global influence.

Kinshasa has been struggling to push back M23 rebels since they launched a comeback offensive in the already tense eastern Congo region.

The fighting displaced 738,000 more people in the first three months of this year alone, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Congolese government, UN officials and Western powers, including the United States and Belgium, have accused Kigali of supporting the M23 in ways such as providing weapons and soldiers.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied these allegations.