The visit of International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan to Kinshasa took a dramatic turn as President Félix Tshisekedi found himself facing uncomfortable questions about the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) deepening record of war crimes and human rights abuses. While Tshisekedi sought to focus the meeting on his allegations against the M23 rebel group, the discussion instead exposed damning evidence implicating the Congolese military (FARDC) and its allies—including the FDLR and Wazalendo militias—in mass killings, ethnic persecution, and other atrocities across eastern DRC.
For months, independent reports and eyewitness accounts have documented widespread human rights violations committed by FARDC forces and their militia partners. These crimes include systematic massacres targeting communities suspected of sympathizing with M23, mass rapes used as a weapon of war, extrajudicial executions, and the forced displacement of entire villages. FARDC has also been accused of hiring foreign mercenaries to conduct brutal counterinsurgency operations, further escalating the violence against civilians.
Despite this overwhelming evidence, Tshisekedi attempted to shift blame solely onto M23, portraying the rebel group as the root cause of the region’s instability. However, his claims were met with skepticism as mounting documentation suggests that FARDC and its allied militias have been the primary perpetrators of war crimes, with a deliberate campaign of persecution aimed at certain ethnic groups in eastern DRC. Reports indicate that entire communities have been targeted based on ethnicity, with homes burned, civilians executed, and women subjected to sexual violence on an industrial scale.
Following the tense meeting, Prosecutor Karim Khan issued a direct call for evidence, urging those with proof of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity to submit it to the ICC. His statement underscored the growing international concern over the atrocities unfolding in DRC and suggested that investigations would not be limited to Tshisekedi’s accusations against M23 but would instead broaden to include crimes committed by the Congolese state and its proxies.
A senior source in Kinshasa told Kivu Today that Tshisekedi appeared visibly agitated during the meeting. “At first, he thought this was just another diplomatic formality,” the official said under anonymity. “But when he realized the prosecutor was serious about investigating FARDC’s crimes, the mood changed. This was not the conversation he expected.”
Another government insider described the growing panic among top officials. “It sent shockwaves through the administration,” the source revealed. “They know they can’t hide these crimes forever. There is clear evidence, and if the ICC moves forward, many senior officials and army commanders could end up facing charges.”
The DRC government now faces the real possibility of an ICC probe that could extend beyond Tshisekedi’s political enemies and expose the complicity of FARDC in war crimes. Tshisekedi’s attempts to deflect blame may have backfired, drawing even more attention to the state’s involvement in atrocities and placing his administration in an increasingly precarious position on the global stage.