By Mevlut Ozkan
ISTANBUL (AA) - The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor on Tuesday arrived in the conflict-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo to have talks with President Felix Tshisekedi as well as Bintou Keita, a special representative of the UN secretary-general.
Expressing concern over the recent developments in eastern Congo, Karim Khan stressed that any armed group or armed forces alongside their allies, “do not have a blank cheque,” Khan told the press upon his arrival.
The conflict between the allegedly Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces is ongoing as the rebels captured the city of Bukavu after seizing Goma in January, leading to the deaths of more than 7,000 people this year, according to Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka.
The prosecutor highlighted that Congolese people are as “precious” as the people of Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine as well as the girls and women of Afghanistan.
“The law must be seen to be effective. All individuals must comply with their own statutes. Nobody can attack civilians because they do not hurt people, kill people.” Khan added.
He said that Congolese people demand equal application of law, adding that it remains to be seen whether if “international criminal law can withstand” this demand.
Earlier, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) urged all parties to share information on the conflict between the M23 rebels and Congo.
Kinshasa has long accused Rwanda of backing the M23 and deploying troops in eastern Congo to support the rebels. Kigali has repeatedly denied the allegations.