Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have held their first procedural meeting before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague following Kinshasa’s lawsuit accusing Kigali of responsibility for insecurity and violence in eastern DRC.
The meeting, the first since the DRC filed its application on June 26, 2026, focused exclusively on procedural matters and did not address the substance of the case.
The Congolese delegation was led by Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa, alongside the DRC’s ambassador to the ICJ, Christian Ndongala, and legal counsel Ivon Mingashang.
Rwanda was represented by Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja.
In a statement posted on X on July 22, Ngefa confirmed that he had led the DRC delegation during the proceedings.
According to the court’s procedure, the session was devoted to setting the framework for the case, including deadlines for written submissions, the exchange of evidence and other procedural arrangements ahead of hearings on the merits.
The meeting did not examine the allegations brought by Kinshasa against Kigali over the conflict in eastern DRC.
Instead, it marked the formal opening of judicial proceedings, with the ICJ expected to issue a procedural order outlining the timetable for the next phases of the case, including deadlines for both parties to file their written pleadings.
The case marks the first time the DRC has brought Rwanda before the ICJ over allegations linked to the conflict in eastern Congo, adding an international legal track to ongoing regional and diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
