The ICC prosecutor arrives in Dr. Congo on the basis of conflict in the east

Kinshasa – Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan arrived in Dr. Congo, his office said on Tuesday, while the country is facing an increase in the east.

The M23 supported by Rwanda has confiscated in recent weeks two major cities in the east of the Democratic Congo Republic, offering the armed group a major point in the region since taking over the weapons at the end of 2021.

“We are extremely worried about the recent developments in Congo, we know that the situation especially in the East is acute,” Khan told his reporters on his arrival in the Kinshasa capital.

“The message must be transmitted very clearly: any reinforced group, any armed forces, any allies in armed groups or armed forces do not have an empty check,” he said.

“It has to comply with international humanitarian law,” Khan added.

READING: Over 7,000 people killed in the east Dr. Congo in January: Premier

According to UN experts, the M23 is supported by about 4,000 Rwanda soldiers.

Since his resurrection, the struggle between the group and the Congolese armed forces have caused a humanitarian crisis in a region affected by the conflict for three decades.

“This is a time when we will see if the international humanitarian law can withstand the requests that people in the Democratic Republic of Congo insists, which is the equal application of the law,” Khan said.

“DRC people are as precious as … people in Ukraine, people in Israel or Palestine, girls or women in Afghanistan,” he added.

Khan is about to meet with DRC president, Felix Tshisekedi, government ministers, general representative of the general secretary, Bintou Keita, as well as victims of conflict members and civil society.

Read: M23 pushes deeper into East DRC, UN asks Rwanda forces to leave

The first investigation he opened in a ICC after his activity started in 2002 on the RDC.

Since then, the court has sentenced three persons for crimes committed in the country.

The ICC prosecutor also opened an investigation in 2023 on the accusations of crimes committed from January 2022 in the province of North Kivu, in the east of the vast nation.

Khan’s office, which visited the country in May 2023, indicated earlier this month that the current situation in the eastern RDC “is part of the ongoing investigation.”