The leader of the Congo River Alliance, Corneille Nangaa, is facing an international arrest warrant issued by a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for war crimes and treason. The warrant, issued on Tuesday, is related to massacres allegedly committed by Nangaa’s group, which includes M23 fighters, in the North Kivu and South Kivu regions. These acts, according to the court, violate both Congolese and international law. The court has ordered Nangaa’s arrest wherever he may be found and his extradition to Congo.
Violence erupted in the city of Goma, located in eastern DRC, when M23 fighters launched a major offensive against government forces two weeks ago. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 2,800 people were killed in Goma as a result of the fighting.
The conflict has led to mass displacement, with thousands of people fleeing to neighboring Rwanda, including international organization staff members from the UN and the World Bank. Swiss Church Aid reported on Thursday that three of its local employees were killed in Rutshutu Territory, which was captured by the M23 rebels last week. The group has not named the perpetrators.
Though the M23 declared a ceasefire on Monday, fighting resumed in the mining town of Nyabibwe, South Kivu, on Wednesday, with the rebels taking control in what appears to be a breach of the ceasefire agreement. Local officials, civil society members, and international sources confirmed the town’s fall to the M23.
The communications minister of DRC, Patrick Muyaya, confirmed that the rebels violated the ceasefire and faced resistance from Congolese forces around Nyabibwe. The UN human rights experts have expressed concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis, condemning indiscriminate attacks, targeted killings, sexual violence, forced conscription, and arbitrary arrests among displaced populations. The crisis is particularly impacting women and children, and there is a severe shortage of essential resources, including food, shelter, and clean water.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the gravity of the situation, urging for global unity in seeking a peaceful resolution. He called for collective efforts to address the human toll the conflict is taking, with thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
The International Criminal Court is closely monitoring the situation, given the reports of potential war crimes in Goma. Meanwhile, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has discussed the situation with European leaders, emphasizing the need for de-escalation and a peaceful resolution to the ongoing violence.
A summit of East African and Southern African leaders, including DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, is scheduled to take place in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, this Saturday, where solutions to the conflict will be further discussed. Additionally, the United Nations Human Rights Council plans to hold a special session to address the crisis and explore ways to stop the violence.
