ICJ Sets 2027-2028 Filing Deadlines for DRC v. Rwanda Merits Phase

The International Court of Justice set a timetable for the merits phase of DRC's case against Rwanda: Kinshasa's written memorial is due Oct 4, 2027, and Rwanda's counter-memorial by Dec 4, 2028. If unchanged, oral hearings would begin in early 2029 with a judgment roughly six months later — meaning the case, filed Jun 26, 2026 over alleged Rwandan-backed abuses dating to 1996, will not be resolved for several years despite its June admissibility ruling.