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DRC to prosecute convicted ICC militia leader

Democratic Republic Of Congo

Ex-Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga will not be free after all.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government still plans to prosecute him as he completes a sentence in prison handed down by the International Criminal Court, the country’s Justice Minister, Alexis Thambwe, said in an interview.

“There are two ongoing cases against him with the General Prosecutor of the Republic in which he is implicated in other cases just as serious as the one the ICC convicted him in the role he played in the killing of nine UN peacekeepers from MONUSCO. There’s also another procedure in the hands of military prosecutors concerning the contacts he continues to have with other officers who are being prosecuted. For these reasons, he will not leave the Makala prison.”

Katanga was sentenced to 12 years in prison for crimes against humanity and four counts of war crimes during the brutal massacre on a village in 2003 that claimed the lives of about 200 people.

He was accused of supplying his militia with weapons which were used to hack to death the victims.

The sentence was however reduced by 3 years after he voiced regret for his involvement in the killings.

He was expected to leave prison today, January 18.

what Katanga was convicted of at ICC.He completes sentence today,democratic republic of Congo will now prosecute pic.twitter.com/gPb5C7q8WV

— Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) January 18, 2016

He was transferred together with former warlord Thomas Lubanga to a prison in Kinshasa to serve out their sentences.

Lubanga was sentenced to 14 years in prison by the ICC for recruiting and enlisting child soldiers in the country.

His request for early release from prison was turned down by the court terming it as “unjustified”.

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