KINSHASA, DR Congo
Democratic Republic Congo’s Justice minister Rose Mutombo took part Tuesday (Dec. 6) in the 21st session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
During the meeting in the
Hague, Netherlands, Mutombo called on the prosecutor of the ICC to investigate
alleged massacres in Kishishe last week.
"While we are in this
room, part of the eastern territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, my
country, in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, is the scene of crimes
against humanity, war crimes, crimes of genocide and crimes of aggression which
cause thousands of deaths as well as cases of sexual violence against women and
girls in particular, not to mention the massive displacement of populations,"
the minister said.
According to the ACP, the
Congolese state-owned news agency, Rose Mutombo pointed to the ADF terrorist
groups from "Uganda" and the M23 backed by "Rwanda",
as perpetrators of these crimes.
The Congolese government
accuses M23 rebels to have raided the Kishishe village located about 70
kilometers from Goma and killed over 200 people.
There was no immediate
corroboration of that government figure or the new toll of at least 270 dead
due to insecurity in the area but Muyaya said the information had come from
local civil society groups.
Government spokesman Patrick
Muyaya said Monday an official inquiry would be opened into the attack
which broke a
cease-fire agreement brokered last month.
The M23 rose to prominence a
decade ago when its fighters seized the largest city in in the Democratic
Republic of Congo's eastern region, bordering Rwanda.
After a deal with the
government, fighting with this rebel group stopped. Still, other active rebel
groups in the region continued to terrorize civilians.
The 23 rebels re-emerged just
over a year ago, capturing key towns and forcing thousands to flee for their
lives.
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