Germany charges Rwandans over Congolese atrocities

Dec 17, 2010, 17:30 GMT

Karlsruhe, Germany - Germany has charged two Rwandan nationals with crimes against humanity and war crimes carried out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as membership of a terrorist organization, the Federal Prosecution Agency announced Friday.

The men, identified as Ignace M, aged 47, and 49-year-old Straton M, are accused of being ringleaders for the Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR).

From their base in Germany, they allegedly orchestrated more than 200 murders, the rape of numerous women, the use of human shields and recruitment of child soldiers in DR Congo, between January 2008 and November 17, 2009.

They are charged with 26 crimes against humanity and 39 counts of war crimes, carried out by their subordinates in DRC.

The FDLR rebel group consisted largely of the ethnic Hutus who were responsible for the Rwandan genocide of Tutsis in 1994 and later fled to neighbouring DRC, the Federal Prosecution Agency wrote in a statement.

Ignace M is charged with being president of the FDLR from December 2001, while Straton M is accused of being the organization's First Vice-President since June 2004.

Together with a man identified as Callixte M, who is being held by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the men are accused of overseeing the procedures, strategies and tactics of the FDLR.

The FDLR's aim was to overthrow Rwanda's present-day government, the prosecution agency wrote, adding that they operated from eastern Congo, where they entrenched their position through regular, violent attacks on the local population.

'The means by which the FDLR systematically secure their illegal regime of occupation include murder, assault, rape, sexual slavery, land seizure, robbery, arson, the arbitrary levy of road tolls as well as the exploitation of Congolese resources,' the Federal Prosecution Agency wrote.

The accused were arrested on November 17, 2009, and have since been held in German custody. The charges were filed December 8, but only made public Friday.

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