A collective of lawyers representing the Congolese communities has announced plans to file cases with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity committed against minority groups of Banyamulenge, Hema and Tutsi. ALSO READ: Banyamulenge take Burundi govt to court over abuses in Minembwe In a statement dated June 17, the Collectif des Avocats des Parties Civiles said it is compiling evidence and witness testimonies related to military operations in Minembwe, South Kivu, where violence has intensified over recent years. The Collectif is working on the collection of evidence and testimonies concerning military operations involving the bombing of the civilian population in the highlands of Minembwe in South Kivu, the lawyers said. The group said the evidence includes photographs, videos and testimonies gathered from victims and witnesses, which it intends to present before the ICC. Abundant photographs, videos and testimonies exist. These acts of ethnic cleansing constitute crimes against humanity and are not subject to any statute of limitations, the statement reads. ALSO READ: How Burundian troops in South Kivu sparked a distinct humanitarian crisis amid DR Congo’s wider war The signatories include lawyers Amedeo Kamoto of Bukavu, Bernard Maingain, a Brussels-based lawyer and member of the ICC Bar, Léon Lef Forster, an honorary lawyer based in Paris, and Innocent Nteziryayo, the coordinator of the collective. They said they were acting on information received from Banyamulenge residents who continue to report attacks against civilians in the area. The strategy of bombings and targeted attacks against the population is having tragic consequences, they said. The planned submissions represent the latest attempt to seek international accountability for violence that has devastated Minembwe, a region in South Kivu province mainly inhabited by the Banyamulenge. ALSO READ: What are the motivations of Burundi’s military intervention in South Kivu? For decades, the Banyamulenge have faced recurring persecution, displacement and disputes over their citizenship despite their longstanding presence in eastern DR Congo. Since 2017, the community has endured repeated attacks by armed groups, resulting in the destruction of villages, loss of livestock, killings and mass displacement. The crisis deepened further in recent years as Minembwe became entangled in broader conflicts involving local militias, government-allied forces and foreign armed groups. Community leaders and rights advocates have frequently accused government soldiers and other armed actors of targeting civilians because of their ethnic identity. Government authorities have consistently denied the Congolese identity of the Banyamulenge and advocated their ethnic cleansing in a region with a centuries-old history, the lawyers said. They also criticised what they described as inadequate international attention to the situation. This extermination plan is unfolding amid the indifference of the international community, which privileges economic or purported geopolitical interests over the fundamental rights of human beings, the lawyers said. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa states four reasons why his movement is fighting Tshisekedi govt The Collectif des Avocats des Parties Civiles is a network of volunteer lawyers from DR Congo and abroad mandated by victims from minority communities to pursue legal action before regional and international courts. The group noted that some of its members had requested anonymity after receiving threats linked to their work documenting alleged human rights violations. ALSO READ: 80-year-old Congolese reflects on lifetime of injustice, attacks in DR Congo FDLR complaint In additional to the Minembwe case, the lawyers said they are preparing a separate complaint concerning the FDLR, a Kinshasa-backed Rwandan genocidal militia operating in eastern DR Congo. According to the statement, victims of the FDLR intend to denounce what the collective described as collusion between the militia, elements of the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), Burundian troops and political authorities in Kinshasa and Burundi. The lawyers noted that they possess evidence pointing to weapons deliveries, military training and logistical support benefiting armed groups operating alongside government-allied forces in eastern DR Congo. The Collectif is able to demonstrate that arms deliveries originate from the FARDC without opposition, and even with the support of the authorities in Kinshasa, the statement said. The collective further alleged that recruits are subjected to ideological indoctrination promoting ethnic hatred and are encouraged to pursue campaigns against targeted communities. The Collectif is preparing a complaint against the authorities concerned by this unacceptable strategy, the lawyers said. ALSO READ: DR Congo: FDLR razes village in Walikale, killing four The statement also pointed to the involvement of foreign mercenaries in military operations in the region and called for their prosecution. In addition to the ICC initiatives, the lawyers said they would continue pursuing accountability for alleged abuses committed against Hema communities in Ituri province while monitoring developments involving Congolese authorities and the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO.
