KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo – A former Congolese warlord was transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague today to face war crimes charges including murder, sexual slavery, and recruiting child soldiers.  Germain Katanga led the Patriotic Forces of Resistance of Ituri (FRPI) militia in northern DRC.  He is the second suspect to be transferred to the ICC.

The ICC prosecutor alleges that Katanga’s FRPI fighters committed criminal acts against mostly civilians of the Hema ethnic group in Ituri province between January and March 2003.  Katanga is charged with 3 counts of crimes against humanity and 6 counts of war crimes for his involvement.  200 civilians were massacred, women and girls were raped and enslaved, and villagers were imprisoned in a room filled with corpses. Katanga is also charged with using child soldiers in the attack.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Second Congo war crimes suspect transferred to ICC – 18 October 2007

AllAfrica.com – Congo-Kinshasa: Second War Crimes Suspect to Face Justice in the Hague – 18 October 2007

Institute for War and Peace Reporting – Second Congolese Rebel in ICC Custody – 18 October 2007

AP – Hague Court Says 2nd Congo Suspect Held – 18 October 2007

By Elizabeth Costner
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa

MUHAGIRIYA, Sudan – African Union and United Nations officials are looking into reports of a new massacre in Darfur.  Witnesses report that Sudanese government troops and their allied militias killed more than 30 civilians, slit the throats of several men praying at a mosque, and shot a 5-year old boy in the back as he tried to run away.

Muhagiriya, a small town in southern Darfur, was a stronghold to one of Darfur’s numerous rebel factions, but witnesses say there were few rebels there on October 8 when two columns of uniformed government troops and dozens of militiamen not in uniform surrounded the town and stormed the market.

While both the UN and AU have been investigating the atrocities, and have verified that dozens of civilians were killed, neither group has been able to officially identify and verify the group responsible.  Witnesses assert that uniformed troops “methodically mowed down anyone who tried to escape, including a group of fleeing children.”

The Sudanese government has denied any involvement, calling it “completely false information.”  When asked about the reports of attacks an official in the government blamed it on “internal fighting between the movements.”

Many are worried that this occurrence is a sign of a much larger problem in Darfur.   Rebels, Arab militias, and the Sudanese military all seem to be rushing to seize territory before a major peace conference scheduled for October 27 in Libya.  Sam Ibok, a senior advisor to the African Union who is involved in preparations for the peace talks, said “they are all trying to reposition themselves ahead of the cease-fire talks and ahead of discussions of who controls what.”

The recent attack in Muhagiriya are complicating peace efforts and causing concern as “people are now becoming more skeptical” and believe “that the government is not interested in peace.”

Africa Union officials are also investigating accusations of another attack on civilians in Haskanita, most of which was burned to the ground.  Rebels have accused the government of ransacking the town and killing 100 people following a rebel attack on a nearby African Darfur base.

For more information, please see:

New York Times – In Southern Darfur, Signs of Another Massacre – 17 October 2007

USA Today – Gov’t troops massacred civilians in southern Darfur – 17 October 2007

International Herald Tribune – Poison pot of obstacles facing peace in Darfur – 17 October 2007

Eathtimes – New atrocities emerge in Darfur – 17 October 2007

For more information on the Darfur conflict, please see the following Impunity Watch reports: Ceasefire Ends in Sudan; African Union Peacekeepers Attacked in Darfur; Ongoing Conflict in Sudan; ICC Prosecutor Demands Arrests in Sudan; Secretary General Urges Sudan President to Commit to Ceasefire; Peace Talks on Darfur Scheduled for October

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – According to a report released this past Tuesday by Women in Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), one of the leading civil rights organizations in Zimbabwe, women activist are being arrested without cause, tortured and sexually abused. The WOZA organization was formed in 2003 and has about 55,000 members across Zimbabwe. The activist group has become a powerful voice against President Robert Mugabe’s government. In response to protests vocalizing the deepening economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe, many women activists claim they have been detained and abused by police.

In a preliminary report, which surveyed the WOZA members from 2000 to 2007, the women activists have been unlawfully detained, degraded, slapped, beaten with sticks and threatened with sexual violence. Many times the abuse occurs in front of their children since police do not separate the children during the arrest. According to Jenni Williams, one of the founders of WOZA, the arrests are unprovoked. Williams, alone, has been arrested about 30 times in the past three years.

Despite promising reports of mediation between President Mugabe and his leading opposition party, ZANU-PF, there continues to be an increase in violation in Zimbabwe. Other human rights organizations like Amnesty International have also accused the Mugabe government of human rights violations. According to Williams, the government seeks to prevent all protests mismanagement, corruption, and complete disregard for Zimababwe’s well-being. Williams as well as Western diplomats urge neighboring countries to help ease the depression and suffering.

Meanwhile, the country’s inflation rate remains the highest in the world at more than 6,500%. In one of many desperate efforts to curb the eroding economy and severe food shortage, government officials announced on Sunday that bakers would be allowed to double the price of bread and sugar. Critics have no faith in Mugabe’s price control regulations and believe his strategies have plunged the economy into a deeper crisis.

For more information please see:

USA Today (AP) –Zimbabwe Women Report Police Abuse -11 October 2007

Reuters: Africa- Zimbabwe Police Torture Women Activists – 11 October 2007

Yahoo News (AFP)- Zimbabwe Approves Over 200 Percent Price Hike for Bread – 14 October 2007