International Criminal Court investigation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The seal of the International Criminal Court
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| File no. | 01/04 |
|---|---|
| Referred by | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Date referred | 19 April 2004 |
| Date opened | 23 June 2004 |
| Incident(s) | |
| Crimes |
Crimes against humanity: · Inhumane acts · Murder · Persecution · Rape · Sexual slavery · Torture War crimes: · Attacks against civilians · Conscripting of children · Destruction of property · Enlisting of children · Inhuman treatment · Murder · Pillaging · Rape · Sexual slavery · Torture · Using children in conflict |
| Germain Katanga | Convicted |
| Thomas Lubanga Dyilo | Sentenced to 14 years imprisonment |
| Callixte Mbarushimana | Charges not confirmed |
| Sylvestre Mudacumura | Fugitive |
| Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui | Acquitted |
| Bosco Ntaganda | In ICC custody |
The International Criminal Court investigation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the Second Congo War and its aftermath, including the Ituri and Kivu conflicts. The war started in 1998 and even although a peace agreement was made between combatants in 2003, conflict continued in the eastern parts of the country for several years. In April 2004 the government of the DRC formally referred the situation in the Congo to the International Criminal Court, and in June 2004, the Prosecutor of the ICC, Luis Moreno Ocampo, formally opened an investigation. To date, warrants of arrest have been issued for Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, Bosco Ntaganda, Callixte Mbarushimana, and Sylvestre Mudacumura. Lubanga is imprisoned; Katanga is convicted; Chui is acquitted; the pre-trial chamber declined to confirm the charges against Mbarushimana; Mudacumura is currently a fugitive; and Ntaganda turned himself in to the US Embassy in Kigali on 18 March 2013, requesting to be extradited to the ICC.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a former colony of Belgium between 1885 and 1960. Shortly after independence from Belgium, Mobutu Sese Seko seize power in a military coup d'état and installed himself as President. Under Mobutu's authoritarian rule, the country's name was also known as Zaire. By 1996, conflict from the Rwandan Genocide spilled over into Zaire and Hutu militias, including the Interahamwe, were using refugee camps in the Kivu region to attack Rwanda. Consequently, the Rwandan and Ugandan armed forces invaded Zaire to fight Hutu militias, and ultimately overthrow Mobutu, in what was to become the First Congo War. The Rwandan and Ugandan forces were joined by Congolese politicians and militia leaders who were opposed to Mobutu's rule and these groups joined forces to become the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL), led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila. In 1997, Mobutu fled Zaire and Kabila named himself President and changed the name of the country back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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