Congolese warlord guilty of war crimes

JOHANNESBURG — The International Criminal Court on Friday handed down the second conviction in its 12-year history, finding Congolese warlord Germain Katanga guilty of war crimes.

Katanga, a leader of the Patriotic Resistance Force in Ituri, one of the myriad armed militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, was found guilty of being an accomplice to murders and pillage during a 2003 attack on the village of Bogoro. He was acquitted of other charges, including rape and recruiting child soldiers.

Katanga was found guilty of four counts of war crimes and one count of crimes against humanity. The court, based in The Hague, found that although child soldiers were present on the day of the attack, it was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he was responsible.

The court’s only other conviction came in 2012, when another Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga, was sentenced to 14 years for atrocities and war crimes such as recruiting child soldiers.

Human Rights Watch welcomed Friday’s verdict, saying it provided a measure of justice for victims of atrocities in Congo. But it called on court investigators to pursue other cases in eastern Congo, which has seen countless attacks, brutal killings and rapes over many years of war.

“Katanga’s conviction for the Bogoro massacre will hopefully bring a sense of justice to victims there, and send a clear warning to rights abusers throughout Congo,” said Geraldine Mattioli-Zeltner, of the rights organization.

In a dissenting opinion Friday, Judge Christine van den Wyngaert called for Katanga’s acquittal, saying his right to a speedy trial had been violated. She also said it was unfair that Katanga was convicted of a modified charge: Initially the prosecution said he was at the center of the attack, but it later accused him of being an accessory.