from JEAN KASSONGO in Kinshasa, DRC
DRC Bureau
KINSHASA, (CAJ News) -THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has been urged to investigate fresh attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as war crimes.
According to Amnesty International, between January and July 2024, in eastern DRC, the Rwandan-backed the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) launched explosive weapons with wide area effects into densely populated areas more than 150 times.
These attacks, which killed more than 100 civilians and wounded hundreds, violated international humanitarian law and likely constitute war crimes, Amnesty International said.
Amnesty International said it interviewed 60 people, visited several strike sites and analysed dozens of verified photos, videos and statements from the warring parties and others.
It documented the M23 and Congolese army repeatedly using ground-launched unguided rockets, including 122mm Grad rockets. These weapons systems are reportedly inherently inaccurate and their use in populated areas poses an extremely high risk of civilian casualties.
“The devastating escalation in the use of explosive weapons is a new and dangerous development in a three-decade conflict already rife with human rights and humanitarian law violations,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
She said amid a fresh uptick in fighting, the M23 and the Congolese army must stop firing rockets, mortars and other explosives with wide area effects into densely populated areas.
“The warring parties must comply with international humanitarian law by taking all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize civilian harm during attacks,” Callamard said.
In eastern DRC, the increased use of explosive ordnance coincided with a large-scale offensive by the M23, which has been substantially supported by the Rwanda Defence Force, according to United Nations reports.
– CAJ News