The Democratic Republic of Congo’s military court has issued an international arrest warrant for Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes the M23 rebel group, on charges of war crimes and treason, Al Jazeera reports.
The warrant, issued on Tuesday, accuses Nangaa of orchestrating massacres in the eastern DRC provinces of North Kivu and, more recently, South Kivu, offenses prosecutable under both Congolese and international law, according to state media reports on Thursday.
The court has ordered Nangaa’s immediate apprehension wherever he may be located and his subsequent transfer to Congolese territory.
The warrant comes amidst escalating violence in eastern DRC, particularly in and around Goma, a city of two million people, where M23 fighters launched a major offensive against government forces two weeks ago. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated on Wednesday that at least 2,800 people have perished in Goma as a direct result of the fighting.
The conflict has also resulted in the displacement of thousands, with many seeking refuge in neighboring Rwanda. This includes personnel from international organizations such as the UN and the World Bank.
The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen, with aid organizations facing severe challenges. Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) reported on Thursday the tragic deaths of three of its local employees during an attack in Rutshuru Territory, recently captured by M23 rebels. While the aid group refrained from explicitly identifying the perpetrators, the incident highlights the dangers faced by aid workers on the ground.
Despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by the M23 on Monday after intense fighting with the Congolese army for control of Goma, reports indicate continued violations. On Wednesday, the M23 seized control of Nyabibwe, a mining town in South Kivu province. This breach of the ceasefire was confirmed by multiple sources, including local officials, a civil society representative, rebels themselves, and an international security source.
Congolese Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya stated that the M23 rebels violated the ceasefire under the cover of night and are currently facing resistance from Congolese armed forces in the vicinity of Nyabibwe.
