News

Democratic Republic of The Congo (DRC)

On March 17, 2006, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced the arrest of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, founder and leader of the Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC), one of the militia groups active in the conflict in eastern DRC. Mr. Lubanga is the first person to be arrested and transferred to the ICC.

Mr. Lubanga is charged with the enlistment and conscription of children under the age of 15 and using them to participate actively in hostilities. The ICC has been conducting investigations in the DRC since 2004 after the Congolese Government referred the conflict to the Court. Despite publicly available information and material documenting the commission of rape and other forms of sexual violence by the UPC, the Court is not prosecuting these crimes. 

In May and July 2006, the Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, in collaboration with Congolese women’s rights and human rights activists, conducted consultations and interviews with women from Ituri, eastern DRC, and produced a report on rape and sexual violence committed in the Ituri region. The report includes 55 individual interviews with women victims/survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence. Of these, 31 interviewees are victims/survivors specifically of acts of rape and sexual slavery committed by the UPC.

On August 16, 2006, the Women's Initiatives submitted the confidential report and a letter to the Office of the Prosecutor describing our grave concerns that gender-based crimes have not been adequately investigated in the case against Thomas Lubanga and providing information about the commission of these crimes by the UPC.

Redacted letter to the Prosecutor, which for security reasons has been edited to omit identifying information. 
Prosecutor Letter August 2006 Redacted
http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-06-403-Anx1-Corr_English.pdf

On September 7, 2006, the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice submitted an application to Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC requesting leave to prepare an amicus brief in relation to the case against Mr. Lubanga.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-06-403_English.pdf


On September 19, 2006, the Defence Counsel for Thomas Lubanga submitted a response to the application of the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice.
http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/ICC-01-04-01-06-442_English.pdf


In August 2006, the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice held meetings with local activists from the eastern DRC and issued a joint press release concerning the ICC's failed investigations in the region.
Press Release August 29 2006