The Registrar of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) has sent a letter to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, informing them that the court’s decision regarding its jurisdiction and admissibility in the case between the two countries will be announced on June 26.
Kinshasa accuses Kigali of aggression, looting, and massacres committed on its territory over the past 30 years. The case was filed in February last year in Arusha, Tanzania.
The Court’s letter states:
“The Registrar informs you that, in the aforementioned case, the Court will render its decision on jurisdiction and admissibility in a public session on 26 June 2025, starting at 10:00 a.m. (Arusha time, GMT +3), at its seat in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania.”
Following the oral hearings held on 12 and 13 February, where both sides presented arguments on whether the Court has the authority to try the case, the AfCHPR decided to deliberate on the issue. It granted both Kinshasa and Kigali eight days from the hearing dates to submit their full arguments and supporting documentation before a final ruling.
During the hearing, Rwandan lawyers reiterated, as they did on the first day, that the DRC’s complaint should be deemed inadmissible. They argued that the ACHPR procedure had not yet been exhausted because regional and international mechanisms were still being pursued.
Kigali also claimed that the DRC’s complaint was largely based on media reports, making the case unreliable. Rwanda’s defense team requested the court to suspend proceedings until a related case being reviewed by the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) is resolved.
On its part, Congo argued that its claim is backed by concrete evidence of crimes allegedly committed by Rwanda on its territory. DRC’s legal team also questioned what precedent would be set if the ACHPR declared it lacked jurisdiction.
