Nobel peace laureate and former presidential candidate Denis Mukwege has welcomed the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s submission of a case against Rwanda to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a statement released on 28 June 2026, he described the move as a crucial step toward truth and justice for victims of the conflicts in eastern DRC.
Mukwege praised Congolese authorities for taking legal action to denounce alleged violations of international law attributed to Rwanda.
“We welcome the filing of the application submitted to the International Court of Justice by the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals of the DRC, denouncing violations of international law and human rights committed by Rwanda directly and through armed groups under its control (AFDL, RCD, CNDP, M23/AFC) in the DRC from 1996 to the present,” he wrote following the government’s initiative.
While supporting this proceeding before the United Nations’ highest court for settling disputes between states, Mukwege emphasised that other judicial mechanisms must be activated to establish individual criminal responsibility for alleged perpetrators of international crimes.
“In addition to this procedure initiated before the ICJ, we continue to urge the International Criminal Court to pursue its investigations and prosecutions to establish individual criminal responsibility for alleged perpetrators of crimes under the Rome Statute, prioritising accountability of military and political chains of command,” Mukwege argued.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner also called on states to exercise universal jurisdiction to prosecute individuals suspected of committing international crimes. He further urged the Congolese government to implement a national transitional justice strategy.
“Finally, we call on states to exercise the principle of universal jurisdiction and on the Congolese government to implement a national transitional justice strategy, including the establishment of a Special Criminal Tribunal for the Congo as proposed by the UN Mapping Report,” the former presidential candidate continued.
For Mukwege, the pursuit of justice remains an essential tool to prevent new conflicts and build lasting peace in the DRC.
“There is an urgent need to establish the close links between conflict prevention, transitional justice and peacebuilding,” he stated.
According to the Minister of State and Keeper of the Seals, Guillaume Ngefa Atondoko Andali, who filed the application at the ICJ in The Hague, the DRC expresses full confidence in the court and reaffirms its determination to make law prevail over force, obtain justice for victims of crimes committed on its territory, and work toward a just, lasting peace based on accountability.
Since the resurgence of the AFC/M23 and the intensification of Rwandan aggression in eastern DRC, Congolese authorities have stressed that their response will not be limited to military and diplomatic measures. President Félix Tshisekedi has repeatedly called on the government to strengthen the international judicial front to obtain reparations for harm suffered, prosecute alleged perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and systematically document the plundering of the DRC’s natural resources.
