Democratic Republic of the Congo
Overview
phase: Situations & Cases
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) involves a protracted conflict between the government of the DRC and many armed groups. The DRC has experienced conflict since the First Congo War in 1996, with violence erupting again in 1998 when armed rebel groups began to engage with forces of the government of the DRC (the Second Congo War). During this period, up to 25 armed groups and eight African states supported various actors in the conflict. The government finalized a peace agreement with rebel groups in 2003, with later peace agreements in Ituri in 2007 and Kivu in 2009. However, various groups continued to engage in armed conflict in the eastern parts of the country throughout the past decade.
The conflict has been characterized by patterns of extreme brutality and attacks against civilians, including rape, torture, forced displacement, the use of child soldiers, and mass murder. Millions of civilians have died over the course of the conflict.
The DRC ratified the Rome Statute on April 11, 2002. The DRC referred itself to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 19, 2004. Following a preliminary examination, the Office of the Prosecutor officially opened an investigation on June 23, 2004. Within the Situation in the DRC, there are the following cases: The Prosecutor v. Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, The Prosecutor v. Germain Katanga, The Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, The Prosecutor v. Callixte Mbarushimana, The Prosecutor v. Sylvestre Mudacumura and The Prosecutor v. Bosco Ntaganda.
For more information on the Situation in the DRC, please visit the ICC page.