Third DR Congo war crimes suspect transferred to ICC News
Third DR Congo war crimes suspect transferred to ICC

[JURIST] Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo [JURIST news archive; ICC materials] arrested former Nationalist and Integrationist Front (FNI) leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui on Wednesday on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges and transferred [press release] him to the International Criminal Court [official website] at The Hague. Ngudjolo is accused of planning and carrying out an attack against the village of Bogoro in 2003, killing some 200 persons. The warrant [PDF text] for Ngudjolo Chui's arrest listed three counts of crimes against humanity for murder, inhumane acts, and sexual slavery and six counts of war crimes. A hearing date has not yet been set.

Ngudjolo Chui is the third Congolese accused of war crimes in the ICC's custody. Thomas Lubanga [ICC materials; BBC profile] was taken into ICC custody in March 2006, becoming the first Congolese war crimes defendant to appear before the ICC [JURIST reports]. Lubanga is charged [JURIST report] with enlisting child soldiers in the violence plagued Ituri district [HRW backgrounder]. Germain Katanga [ICC materials; BBC backgrounder], also accused of using child soldiers, is in the ICC's custody as well. AFP has more.