The Democratic Republic of Congo has escalated its long-running dispute with Rwanda by taking the matter to the International Court of Justice, seeking compensation and legal orders against Kigali over its alleged role in years of violence and instability in eastern Congo.
In a case filed before the United Nations' top court, Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of violating several international agreements by allegedly sending forces into Congolese territory and supporting armed groups operating in the country's east.
Congolese Justice Minister Guillaume Andali said on Friday that the case aims to establish Rwanda's responsibility for alleged breaches of international conventions dealing with genocide prevention, racial discrimination, torture and the protection of women's rights.
The application asks judges at the Hague-based court to compel Rwanda to end the alleged violations and award reparations to the Congolese state as well as victims affected by the conflict.
The court is expected to review the application and determine whether the matter can proceed.
Rwanda had not publicly commented on the latest filing. Kigali has consistently denied accusations that it supports rebel groups fighting in eastern DR Congo despite repeated claims from international observers.
Among those making the allegations are United Nations experts and several Western governments, who have linked Rwanda to the M23 rebel movement. Rwanda has repeatedly rejected those accusations.
The legal action marks the latest chapter in a dispute that has strained relations between the two neighbours for decades.
This is also not the first time DR Congo has sought intervention from the ICJ. An earlier case lodged in 2001 was later withdrawn, while another filed in 2006 was thrown out after the court found it lacked jurisdiction because Rwanda had not accepted the court's authority to hear the matter.
The tensions between the two countries are closely tied to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when about 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis, were killed by Hutu extremists.
The violence triggered a massive movement of people across the border, with an estimated one million Hutus fleeing into what is now DR Congo. The arrival of the refugees added to ethnic divisions in eastern Congo, where the Banyamulenge, a Tutsi community, increasingly feared for its safety.
Rwanda later launched two military interventions in DR Congo, arguing that it was pursuing individuals responsible for the genocide. During those operations, it cooperated with Banyamulenge fighters and other armed groups.
One of the groups that emerged from the conflict, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), remains active in eastern DR Congo. Its ranks include some people accused of involvement in the genocide.
Rwanda describes the FDLR as a "genocidal militia" and maintains that the group's continued presence near its border poses a security threat.
Kigali has also accused the Congolese government of working with the FDLR, an accusation that Kinshasa rejects.
The conflict drew renewed international attention in January after M23 fighters seized vast areas of eastern DR Congo, including Goma, the largest city in the region and a key commercial hub.
The latest court action comes even as efforts to end the violence continue. Fighting has persisted despite a peace agreement signed by Rwanda and DR Congo in December under a process backed by the United States.