By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

GENEVA, Switzerland – On Wednesday the UN human rights chief announced that army and rebel troops committed “possible war crimes and crimes against humanity” in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

“The information that has been gathered points very strongly to war crimes and crimes against humanity but you need a judicial body to determine whether or not the acts committed are war crimes under international law,” said head of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Africa, Scott Campbell.

During the conflict between Nord and Sud-Kivu from October to November 2008, two reports indicate that there were 12 arbitrary killings and around 70 rapes committed by government troops.  In a report compiled jointly with the UN Mission in Congo, MONUC, it is said that the killings were not committed in crossfire, but that the victims “were arbitrarily executed, often inside their houses, after fighting had stopped.”

“Impunity is the norm,” Campbell said. “Rape and sexual violence are daily occurrences.”

The UN urged the necessity of reforming the DR Congo’s security and judicial systems saying the “two reports on a series of human rights abuses, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity… underscored the urgent need for the DRC government and the international community to institute fundamental reforms to the country’s security and judicial systems.”

The International Criminal Court has issued four arrest warrants for Congolese militiamen.

The High Commissioner said that “concrete and immediate action to hold perpetrators accountable, particularly since sexual violence continues to take place on a daily basis,” will be enforced by a zero-tolerance policy.

For more information, please see:

AFP – DR Congo Army, Rebels Committed ‘Possible War Crimes’ : UN – 09 September 2009

Reuters – U.N. Rights Chief Sees Possible War Crimes in Congo – 09 September 2009

UN News Centre – UN Reports Point to Possible War Crimes in Eastern DR Congo – 09 September 2009

VOA – UN Sees Possible War Crimes in Eastern Congo – 09 September 2009