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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: Government to bring atrocities case to international court

KINSHASA, 16 January 2003 (IRIN) - The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is to bring a case against three rebel groups accused of atrocities, to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"At the beginning of next week, we are going to bring the case to The Hague," Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu told IRIN on Thursday, adding that the government had already lodged a complaint with the UN Security Council and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The case will be brought against the rebel group Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC) and its ally, the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-National (RCD-N), as well as the Union du peuple congolais (UPC).

The UN mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, confirmed on Wednesday that it had received witness reports of members of MLC and RCD-N being involved in cannibalism and forcible cannibalism in Mambasa and Mangina, respectively situated 50 and 70 km northwest of Beni, Ituri District.

All three groups were also reportedly involved in looting, perpetrating systematic rape, summary executions and kidnappings in an operation called "clean the blackboard [effacer le tableau]".

"We will also bring a case to other international bodies such as the African Court of Rights," Okitundu added.

A preliminary report conducted by MONUC cites 117 cases of arbitrary execution, 65 of rape, including child rape, 82 cases of abduction either for sexual purposes or work, and 27 of torture perpetrated during the MLC and RCD-N occupation of Mambasa between 12 and 29 October, their return there on 29 November, and advances made around Beni.

A total of 368 victims and witnesses were interviewed by MONUC, but the total number of witnesses remains unclear.

Themes: (IRIN) Human Rights

[ENDS]

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