The warlord Germain Katanga, who hails
from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, was recently rearrested after
completing a 12-year sentence for crimes
against humanity which was handed down by
the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mr. Katanga stands accused, along with five
others, of "war crimes, crimes against humanity
and participating in an insurrectional movement"
committed in Ituri an area nearby the Ugandan
border.
The warlord’s previous sentence was reduced in
November for good behavior. Mr. Katanga is
only the second person to be sentenced by the
ICC since the court began hearing cases in 2003.
Last year, the warlord was flown back to
Kinshasa to serve out the remainder of its term
which was set to end on January 18.
However, the Congolese authorities have
announced they will continue to keep him in
prison in order to prosecute him for “other
cases”.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has noted that Mr.
Katanga has not had time to properly prepare for
the new cases brought against him.
His defense counsel has termed his continued
detention as “arbitrary and illegal”.
In 2007, he was handed over to the ICC and
subsequently convicted for his role in the 2003
attack on the village of Bogoro which left 200
civilians dead.
He also believed to be responsible for the 2005
killing of 9 United Nations (UN) peacekeepers.
The DRC was wracked by two wars from
1996-2003, the two conflicts left more than 2
million people dead, most of whom were
civilians.
The eastern regions of the country
remain ravaged by violence mostly motivated by
the rich mineral resources available in the area.
This violence has led to mass rape, killing, and
enslavement.
Sahara reporters.
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