The ICC agrees to investigate alleged crimes in the conflict in the Congolese province of North Kivu

MADRID 15 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has accepted this Monday the request of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to investigate alleged crimes and violations of the Rome Statute that occurred since January 2022 within the framework of the current conflict in the province of North Kivu, where several armed groups operate.

“Today I wish to announce that I have decided to renew our investigative activities in the DRC. The investigation will focus primarily on the alleged Rome Statute crimes committed in North Kivu since January 2022,” reads a statement from the ICC’s attorney general, Karim Khan.

Following this, he explained that his office has been evaluating Kinshasa’s request in recent months and that they have concluded that the “recent episodes of violence” in the region “are interconnected with patterns of violence and hostilities that have plagued the region since least July 1, 2002”, a date that the agency is also investigating following another request from the African country and which resulted in the indictment and subsequent conviction of several people for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“I wish to remind you that our investigations in North Kivu will not be limited to particular sides or members of specific groups. On the contrary, my office will holistically, independently and impartially examine the responsibility of all actors alleged to have committed Rome Statute crimes. “My office will also pay close attention to the principle of complementarity and seek the participation and cooperation of national authorities and all relevant actors,” Khan added.

After this, he recalled the memorandum signed between the ICC and the DRC in the summer of 2023 to cooperate “actively” in crimes related to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, crimes that can only be brought before Justice with the collaboration of both the DRC Government and its office and the international community.

Currently, the main clashes are taking place between the Congolese Army and local self-defense groups against the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23, made up mainly of Congolese Tutsis supported by Rwanda) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), linked to the group. jihadist Islamic State, and created in the nineties in Uganda.