Today, 13 July 2012, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest for Sylvestre Mudacumura, following the request of the ICC Prosecutor.

On 31 May 2012, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) unanimously dismissed, in limine (without examining the merits), the Prosecutor’s application for a warrant of arrest against Mr Sylvestre Mudacumura, considering that this application “fell short of the proper level of specificity” in describing the alleged crimes “for which the person’s arrest is sought”.

The Office of the Prosecutor has requested two new warrants of arrest in the DRC situation.

The first one relates to Bosco Ntaganda for the crimes committed as a top commander of Thomas Lubanga’s militia, the UPC/FPLC. Taking into consideration the findings in the final “Lubanga Judgement” the Prosecution will request to add charges against Bosco Ntaganda for the following crimes:

1. crimes against humanity of murder, persecution based on ethnic grounds, and rape/sexual slavery, and

Today, the Office of the Prosecutor is submitting an amended application to ICC Judges for an arrest warrant against Sylvestre Mucadumura, for 5 counts of crimes against humanity (murder, inhumane acts, rape, torture and persecution) and 9 counts of war crimes (attack against a civilian population, murder, mutilation, cruel treatment, rape, torture, destruction of property, pillaging and outrage upon personal dignity).