What makes the conflict in eastern DRC different from the Israel–Hamas war? The key lies in how international law classifies armed conflicts. International and non-international conflicts follow different rules, shaping state responsibility and global responses. While Israel–Hamas can be read as an international conflict, the DRC–M23 remains non-international under the ICJ’s strict standards. These distinctions are far from technicalities: they define sovereignty, self-defence, and the role of the international community.

In 2020, the Trump administration broke new ground by sanctioning senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), measures lifted under Biden but reimposed in 2025 after arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Unlike ordinary sanctions between states, these directly targeted an international organisation and its officials, raising unprecedented legal questions. This blog unpacks why such measures lack a legal basis, how they endanger judicial independence, and what they mean for the future of international justice.

Tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reached a breaking point. President Félix Tshisekedi’s warning above came amid the rapid rise of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a politico-military coalition formed in December 2023 and closely aligned with the M23 rebel group, active in eastern DRC since 2012. Their recent offensives have led to the capture of several strategic cities, including Goma and Bukavu, by early 2025.

It all begins with an idea.The ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reached a critical juncture when the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 2773 on February 21, 2025—a landmark decision that directly condemned Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebel group.