 |
 |
 |
|
Rwanda rebel FDLR leader Mbarushimana held in France
BBC News
Thomas Fessy
11 October 2010
A leader of the Rwandan FDLR rebel group has been arrested in France on war crimes charges, the International Criminal Court says. In a sealed warrant, Callixte Mbarushimana is accused of 11 counts of murder, rape and other crimes committed during the long conflict in DR Congo (…)
Some FDLR leaders have been accused of taking part in the 1994 genocide of ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda. After a Tutsi-dominated group took power in Rwanda, they fled into what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, sparking years of unrest in the region (…)
(…) ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Mr Mbarushimana's arrest was "a good day for justice" and marked a "crucial step in efforts to prosecute the massive sexual crimes committed in the DRC". But he warned there was "still a lot to do to break the cycle of impunity in the DRC" with 15,000 cases of sexual violence reported in 2009.
The FDLR is one of the most powerful rebel forces operating in eastern DR Congo, where they are believed to make millions of dollars a year by controlling mines rich in gold and other minerals, and extorting money from local people (…)
|