ICC investigates DRC
2004-06-23 20:31
The Hague - The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday announced the opening of the first official probe of the new permanent war crimes court into "serious crimes" allegedly committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
"The opening of the first investigation is a major step forward for international justice, against impunity and for the protection of victims," prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said in a statement.
This signals the first official investigation by the new permanent war crimes tribunal established in July 2003 and mandated to try war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Last July, the ICC already announced that it had launched a preliminary investigation into the fighting in the DRC's northeastern Ituri region.
- AFP