The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan announced on Monday a renewed investigation into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The focus will be on alleged crimes committed in North Kivu province since January 2022.
The investigation aims to address potential war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the region.
Khan emphasized that the assessment would be impartial, targeting all parties involved without singling out specific groups.
Khan linked the recent violence in North Kivu to long-standing regional conflicts.
He noted that the area has experienced recurring unrest since 2002, the year the ICC’s jurisdiction over the DRC began.
This decision follows a second formal referral from the DRC government in May 2023.
The DRC authorities requested the ICC’s intervention, accusing the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and the M23 rebel group of systematically looting the country’s natural resources in eastern Congo.
The ICC prosecutor’s renewed efforts aim to investigate and determine accountability for the ongoing violence and resource exploitation in the conflict-ridden province.
