Ivory Coast 7th African probe for ICC - News24

2011-11-30 08:09

The Hague - Ivory Coast is the seventh African country for which a probe has been launched by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which was set up in The Hague in 2002.

Former president Laurent Gbagbo, becomes the first ex-head of state to be handed over to the ICC.

Ivory Coast

The court's prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo was given the green light in October to probe alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by troops loyal to long-time leader Gbagbo and newly elected President Alassane Ouattara after violence wracked the country following disputed presidential polls in November 2010. About 3 000 were killed in the bloody conflict, which was sparked after Gbagbo refused to step down.

Libya

The court on June 27 announced arrest warrants against the late Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and security services chief Abdullah al-Senussi, suspected of crimes against humanity committed after the rebellion which toppled Gaddafi's regime broke out in mid-February.

Interpol issued "red notices" in September on the ICC warrants, as well as one against another Gaddafi son, Saadi, who is wanted by the Libyan authorities. Libyan rebels took power on August 23 in Tripoli, backed by Nato air strikes. The conflict ended in controversial fashion when Gaddafi was shot dead on October 20, a killing that was criticised even by Western allies of the interim regime. On November 22 the ICC announced it was formally dropping the case against Gaddafi after seeing his death certificate.

Kenya

Moreno-Ocampo revealed the names of six men on December 10 last year including the country's Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who he said were suspected of being the main figures behind Kenya's post-election violence in 2007-08 which claimed 1 200 lives. The court began deliberating over whether to accept the charges against Kenyatta and others in September.

Sudan

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir faces an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the western region of Darfur.

A civil war that broke out in 2003 has claimed about 300 000 lives according to UN figures, while Khartoum puts the figure at 10 000. In 2010, the ICC added a genocide charge against Bashir. Two arrest warrants have also been issued against a former minister and a militia leader.

Democratic Republic of Congo

The ICC reached a milestone with the end of its first trial in August against former militia chief Thomas Lubanga, accused of war crimes for enrolling child soldiers in 2002-03. He is awaiting a verdict.

Congolese militia leaders Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, have been before the court for an attack on a village in 2003.

Senior Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana, suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Kivu provinces in the eastern DRC, has been held in The Hague since 2009. He is awaiting trial.

Central African Republic

Former Congolese deputy president Jean-Pierre Bemba has been in detention in The Hague since 2008, suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) rebels in the neighbouring Central African Republic between October 2002 and March 2003. Bemba's troops supported CAR President Ange-Felix Patasse against a rebellion led by former army chief of staff Francois Bozize.

Uganda

The ICC in 2005 issued arrest warrants against Joseph Kony and other top commanders of the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) for crimes against humanity and war crimes including the enlisting of child soldiers and sexual slavery, committed between 2002 and 2004.