ICC seeks new charges against Ntaganda

2012-05-15 09:19

New York - The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor on Monday sought new war crimes charges against Bosco "The Terminator" Ntaganda and another notorious Democratic Republic of Congo militia leader.

Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that Ntaganda and Sylvestre Mudacumura were two of the "most dangerous" men in a region where millions have been killed in the past 20 years.

Ntaganda has been wanted by the ICC since 2006. Moreno-Ocampo said he wanted new charges of crimes against humanity for murder, ethnic persecution, rape and sexual slavery.

Moreno-Ocampo said he also wanted war crimes charges for "intentional attacks" against civilians that led to murder, rape, sexual slavery and pillaging.

For Mudacumura, military commander of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia, he is seeking five counts of crimes against humanity - murder, inhumane acts, rape and torture - and nine war crimes charges.

An ICC tribunal will decide whether to allow the warrants.

"We are pretty confident in our evidence," Moreno-Ocampo told a press conference at the UN headquarters. But he added that the action aimed to contribute to "peace and security" in the Great Lakes region.

Ntaganda is accused of leading army mutineers who have attacked government forces in eastern DRC in recent weeks.

Ntaganda and other mutineers were integrated into the national army under a 2009 peace deal with rebels but defected again after complaining about the conditions.

Ever since the end of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, eastern DRC has been a near-permanent battleground between rival militias for control of rich mineral resources.

- AFP