Germain Katanga

Infobox Person


image_size =
name = Germain Katanga
birth_date = 28 April 1978
birth_place = Mambasa, Ituri Province, DRC
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = flagicon|Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
other_names = Simba
known_for = Indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity

Germain Katanga (born 28 April 1978), also known as Simba, is a former leader of the Patriotic Resistance Force in Ituri (FRPI).International Criminal Court (19 October 2007). " [http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/291.html Statement by Fatou Bensouda, Deputy Prosecutor, during the press conference regarding the arrest of Germain Katanga] ". Retrieved on 21 October 2007.] On 17 October 2007, the Congolese authorities surrendered him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to stand trial on six counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity.International Criminal Court (2 July 2007). PDFlink| [http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-07-1_tEnglish.pdf "Warrant of arrest for Germain Katanga"] |202 KB. Retrieved on 21 October 2007.] International Criminal Court (18 October 2007). " [http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/284.html Second arrest: Germain Katanga transferred into the custody of the ICC] ". Retrieved on 21 October 2007.] The charges include murder, sexual slavery and using children under the age of fifteen to participate actively in hostilities.

Early life and family

Katanga was born on 28 April 1978 in Mambasa, Ituri Province, in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He is believed to be of Ngiti ethnicity. He is married to Denise Katanga and has two children.

Patriotic Resistance Force in Ituri

In early 2003, he emerged as the senior commander of the FRPI, a militia group which was involved in the conflict in Ituri. On 24 February 2003, Katanga allegedly led an attack on the village of Bogoro in which rebels under his command went on an "indiscriminate killing spree", killing at least 200 civilians, imprisoning survivors in a room filled with corpses, and sexually enslaving women and girls. It has also been alleged that Katanga helped lead other crimes, including the massacre of more than 1,200 civilians in an attack at Nyakunde Hospital in September 2002.

On 11 December 2004, Katanga was one of six former militia leaders appointed as generals in the DRC army as part of a peace process.Human Rights Watch (14 January 2005). " [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/14/congo10014.htm D.R. Congo: Army Should Not Appoint War Criminals] ". Retrieved on 21 October 2007.] Agence France-Presse (21 October 2007). " [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jRE_V8KOFpCihY6eNEkQAE5iK_Cg Congolese warlord to appear before ICC Monday] ". Retrieved on 21 October 2007.]

He was arrested by the Congolese authorities in early March 2005 in connection with the killing of nine United Nations peacekeepers in Ituri on 25 February 2005.Corder, Mike (22 October 2007). " [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_BnBbXx0yyfuzek94CdLERnsiYA Congolese War Crimes Suspect at Hague] ". The Associated Press. Retrieved on 13 November 2007.] Trial Watch (9 November 2007). " [http://www.trial-ch.org/en/trial-watch/profil/db/facts/germain_katanga_683.html Germain Katanga] ". Retrieved on 13 November 2007.] He was held without charge until his transfer to the ICC in October 2007. On 1 November 2005, a United Nations Security Council committee imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on Katanga for violating an arms embargo. [Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo (7 November 2007). PDFlink| [http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1533/pdf/1533_list.pdf "List of individuals and entities subject to the measures imposed by paragraphs 13 and 15 of Security Council Resolution 1596 (2005)"] |52.3 KB. Retrieved on 23 November 2007.]

International Criminal Court proceedings

On 2 July 2007, a Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Katanga bore individual criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Bogoro attack, and issued a sealed warrant for his arrest. He was charged with six counts of war crimes (wilful killing; inhuman treatment or cruel treatment; using children under the age of fifteen years to participate actively in hostilities; sexual slavery; intentionally directing attacks against civilians; and pillaging) and three counts of crimes against humanity (murder, inhumane acts and sexual slavery).

On 17 October 2007, the Congolese authorities surrendered him to the ICC and he was flown to the ICC's detention centre in The Hague. Katanga was the second person surrendered to the ICC since its establishment in 2002.Reuters (19 October 2007). " [http://uk.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUKL19172096._CH_.242020071019 ICC seeks arrests after surrender of Congo suspect] ". Retrieved on 21 October 2007.]

In February 2008, another suspect, Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, was surrendered to the ICC to face charges in relation to the Bogoro attack;International Criminal Court (7 February 2008). [http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/329.html "Third detainee for the International Criminal Court: Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui"] . Retrieved on 9 February 2008.] he and Katanga will be tried jointly.International Criminal Court (10 March 2008). PDFlink| [http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-07-257-ENG.pdf "Decision on the Joinder of the Cases against Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui"] |527 KB. Retrieved on 10 March 2008.] The hearing to confirm the charges against them began on 27 June 2008. [International Criminal Court (27 June 2008). [http://www.icc-cpi.int/pressrelease_details&id=392.html "ICC Cases an opportunity for communities in Ituri to come together and move forward"] . Retrieved on 17 July 2008.]

ee also

* People detained by the International Criminal Court

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.icc-cpi.int/cases/RDC/c0107/c0107_doc.html The Prosecutor v Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui] — public court records relating to the ICC trial

Persondata
NAME=Germain Katanga
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Simba
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Militia leader, indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity
DATE OF BIRTH=28 April 1978
PLACE OF BIRTH=Mambasa, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=