Germain Katang was found not guilty of rape, sexual slavery and using child soldiers, a war crime under the Statute of Rome. The charges relate to the killing of several hundred civilians from the Hema ethnic group in 2003 during the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In 2003, militias from the Lendu ethnic group – to which Katanga belongs – and other allied tribes were alleged to have attacked the Hema village of Borogo in the Ituri district in the north-east of the country. The fighters are said to have killed, plundered and raped their way through the village, killing around 200 people.
Congolese authorities arrested and surrendered Katanga – who is also known as ‘Simba’ – to the ICC in 2007. Katanga will now remain in detention until his sentencing.
So, could this verdict do justice to the victims and their relatives? And is the ICC capable of addressing serious crimes in Africa?
Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault
Guests: Jennifer Easterday, Trial Monitor for International Justice Monitor, that is a website specialising in trials taking place at the ICC.
Rob Williams, CEO of War Child UK.
Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Law and Policy at Amnesty International.