The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is issuing an urgent request for cooperation and the submission of information from all partners on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“The Office is following current events closely, including the serious escalation of violence over the past few weeks in eastern DRC, in particular m in and around Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. Credible sources indicate that thousands of people have been wounded and hundreds killed in and around Goma, including civilians and peacekeepers, following months of clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the March 23 Movement (“M23”) and their allies”, reports the statement.
It adds: “The current situation in and around Goma is part of the ongoing investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor. The Office will continue to investigate alleged crimes committed by any person, regardless of affiliation or nationality, and will not limit itself to specific individuals, parties or members of groups”, warns the ICC.
Furthermore, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor calls on all parties concerned – victims and witnesses, national and international organisations
international organizations, civil society groups, journalists, national authorities, States Parties and non-States Parties – to share any evidence or information they have gathered or are gathering in relation to allegations of international crimes committed by all parties.
It should be recalled that in October 2024, Prosecutor Karim Khan had announced that the Office was renewing its investigative efforts in the DRC, focusing as a priority on alleged Rome Statute crimes committed in North Kivu since January 1, 2022. This targeted investigation is active and continues as a matter of urgency.
On Thursday October 31, 2024,
the Congolese Government had called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to qualify the act of aggression as a crime of genocide, a war crime and a crime against humanity.
Samuel Mbemba, Deputy Minister of Justice and International Litigation, supported the DRC’s position at the African Legal Aid conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.
For the Deputy Minister of Justice, the international crimes that come under the jurisdiction of the ICC are second only to the act of aggression.
Hence, he stressed the importance of treating the crime of aggression according to the same rules as the other three.
This conference was held almost three weeks after the ICC announced its decision to reactivate its investigations into alleged crimes under the Rome Statute committed in North Kivu since January 2022.
Nadine FULA