Central African Republic

War criminals-process: Waiting for the Bemba-judgment

Murders, rapes, looting: Because of serious war crimes in the Central African Republic Jean-Pierre Bemba since 2010. Now the judges want to talk in The Hague in the judgment.

With a short process, the International criminal court (ICC) in The Hague, not to Shine again: More than 14 years have passed since Jean-Pierre Bemba, former Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with his troops in the neighboring country of the Central African Republic raged. This Monday (21.03.2016) wish to announce the judges now finally, the verdict in the war crimes and human rights violations in the Central African Republic.

The end of 2002, Bemba’s sent 1,500 soldiers in his private army across the border to Central Africa. There, the militias are supposed to help the then President Ange-Félix Patassé, in a coup to knock down.

Bemba is said to have bribed witnesses

According to the charges, Bemba’s men committed in the Central African Republic for months of serious war crimes. Bemba’s defenders deny the allegations vehemently: your client had at the time of the crime no direct impact on the force. Instead, the militias of the Central African army would have stood.

To ensure that the witnesses share this view, should Bemba and his lawyers have vigorously helped. In a second trial, the charges against Bemba and four helpers,
Witnesses bribed and falsification of evidence. Bemba is said to have built his cell in The Hague from a whole bribery network. It will take a few more months, until in this process, a judgment is spoken.

Grueling time of waiting for the victim

Bemba sitting since 2008 in custody. Belgium had been delivered by an international arrest warrant, a politician at the time, to the court of justice in The Hague. Only two years later, the judge opened the process, the evidence with the witness hearings dragged on. 2014, the court closed the proceedings – since Bemba is waiting for the verdict.

Too slow? The ICC in The Hague

“If such processes go much faster over the stage, it is questionable whether the former victims have a lot of conviction,” says Andreas Mehler, Director of the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute in Freiburg. Both psychologically so materially to the long duration of the process is an enormous burden for the victims. In the Central African Republic itself, the process of the Public perceived otherwise, says the expert for Central Africa. “The operations are 14 years of age. Since then, a citizens raged again, war and massive human rights abuses.”

Actually, the International criminal court, new war crimes, and people prevent violations of the law. But: “A deterrent effect could not unfold in the case against Bemba for these events,” says Mehler.

In the Congo, much is at stake

One should be happy about the long process for sure: Bemba’s against players Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2006, Bemba against Kabila had gone into the race for the presidency. Bemba lost the election and went in 2007 into exile to Europe, where he was arrested a year later. “The fact that Bemba was removed over a longer period of time, from the national policy, is precisely what Mr Kabila fits very well into the calculus,” says Mehler.

Congo’s President Joseph Kabila: The process is coming to him

While people in the Central African Republic of the Bemba-process will take hardly a note, expect the Congo to read the verdict on Monday with great excitement. “This is an important decision, if you look at what is at stake”, says the Congolese lawyer Eugène Bakama Bope. In the November elections, and in the case of an acquittal of Congolese Ex-Vice-President could play President again a crucial role.

Local Alternatives to the ICC?

The
International criminal court, with its long processes, partners of the African power in the hands of play, do not believe the Congolese legal scholar but. It is only when there is evidence that the Congolese government was involved in any way in the arrest of Jean-Pierre Bemba, one could say that the International criminal court was being instrumentalised by those in power, Bope.

Processes could, in the long term an Alternative to a long criminal court in The Hague; Mehler and Bope are unanimous. “It is high time that African countries strengthen their legal systems, crimes committed on its territory”, and calls for Bope.