The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, his office announced on Tuesday, as the nation contends with a surge in conflict in the east.
The Rwanda-backed M23 has, in recent weeks, captured two major cities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, securing a significant stronghold in the region since resuming its insurgency in late 2021.
"We are extremely concerned about recent developments in Congo; we recognise that the situation, particularly in the east, is critical," Khan told reporters upon his arrival in the capital, Kinshasa.
"The message must be conveyed unequivocally: no armed group, no armed forces, nor any allies of such groups or forces, have a blank cheque," he stated.
"They must adhere to international humanitarian law," Khan added.
According to UN experts, the M23 is supported by approximately 4,000 Rwandan soldiers.
Kahn is set to meet with Congolese authorities, beginning with the head of state, Félix Tshisekedi, and members of the government.
He has also held a meeting with Bintou Keita, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres.
Justice
He Kahn has urged both sides to end the violence, particularly those responsible for crimes in North Kivu, where the M23 militia, backed by Rwanda, continues to fight the Congolese army and has seized a significant portion of the province.
He has also said that his mission aims to bring justice to bear in the ongoing crisis.
"How many generations of your children are going to be sacrificed?" Khan said upon his arrival. "Enough is enough. Too many people have interfered in the affairs of this country, and this has been the case for years."
He added, "The people of the DRC are as precious as the people of Ukraine, the people of Israel or Palestine, and the girls and women of Afghanistan."
Earlier this month, the prosecutor also launched an appeal for witnesses to any crimes committed during the conflict. As with all investigations, he will require the cooperation of states involved.
In addition to the investigation, his office at the ICC also intends to back the creation of a special court in the DRC.
Rwandan-backed M23 gains in eastern DRC spark UN warnings and regional fears
Calls for peace
Meanwhile, the heads of state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) have also appointed three new facilitators in the crisis in eastern DRC.
In an undated press release yesterday, Monday, evening, the two blocs announced that former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn will be the new envoys of the merged Luanda and Nairobi processes, alongside Kenya's former president Uhuru Kenyatta, who already held the position of facilitator of the Nairobi process.
The groups have called for an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" and a "cessation of hostilities" between the AFC/M23 rebels supported by the Rwandan army and the Congolese forces.
Previous calls for ceasefire have been ignored.
On the ground, M23 continues to make progress in the two eastern provinces of the DRC.
UN accuses M23 of committing 'summary executions' of children in DRC
In South Kivu, its advance has notably caused scenes of panic and looting in Uvira, a town on the border with Burundi where residents have also reported clashes between Congolese soldiers and Wazalendo militiamen for several days.
The two regional blocs promised to establish a roadmap to try to end the crisis, and scheduled a new meeting for Friday, 28 February.
(With newswires)
