First outreach session with military officers in Bunia, Ituri, DRC

On Saturday 26 September 2009, the multi-purpose hall in Bunia, capital of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was the setting for an outreach and discussion session between outreach staff from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and fifty officers from the FARDC (armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The aim of the session was to inform the soldiers about the ICC, clear up misunderstandings about its mandate and draw up a schedule for other meetings of this kind with Ituri-based soldiers outside Bunia.

Various subjects were covered, including the background to the creation of the ICC, and its mission, mandate and jurisdiction. The session also dealt with the latest judicial developments in cases before the Court, particularly those relating to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The soldiers’ interest in the issues was apparent from the lively discussion on the nature of the crimes falling within the Court’s jurisdiction and the responsibility of senior commanders for such crimes committed by their troops. Speaking on behalf of the participants, the military prosecutor invited for the occasion reminded the audience of certain points, such as the primacy of the Rome Statute over national legislation in force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the Congolese military criminal code.

The outreach session ended with a video produced by the Court about the Bemba case, comprising a question and answer session between people from the Central African Republic and senior Court officials (“Ask the Court” programme).

The officers promised to relay the information they had received to the soldiers under their direct command, in order to promote a greater understanding of the rules of international law, and to raise the soldiers’ awareness of national and international efforts to combat the impunity of those who commit the most serious crimes.

This first meeting between the Court and FARDC soldiers will be followed by others in the garrisons of a number of villages in Ituri, including Komanda, Kasenyi, Mahagi and Aru.

For further information, please contact the International Criminal Court’s Outreach Unit in Ituri on: (243) 99 80 11 418, or by e-mail at the following address: [email protected].