"For more than a month, the court has heard about rape used as a weapon of war, sexual slavery, forced labour, torture, mutilation, summary executions, systematic looting, extortion, and the plundering of resources, including diamonds. The alleged atrocities were committed in 2002-2003 during Operation "Erase the Slate", conducted in the northeast of the country by the Rally of Congolese Democrats and Nationalists (RCD-N) -- Lumbala's rebel group."
"Lumbala, who briefly served as trade minister then ran for president in 2006, insists he was merely a politician with no soldiers or volunteers under his control. One of the prosecutors, Nicolas Péron, told the jury that Lumbala is only failing to appear because he is "facing a problem he never thought he would encounter: he is now facing justice"."
Roger Lumbala, 67, faces charges of complicity in crimes against humanity committed during the 1998-2003 Second Congo War, with French prosecutors seeking a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He denies the charges and refused to attend the trial after its opening session, saying the court has no legitimacy. Lumbala was arrested in France in December 2020; he briefly served as trade minister and ran for president in 2006, insisting he had no soldiers under his control. Testimony described rape as a weapon of war, sexual slavery, forced labour, torture, mutilation, executions, systematic looting, extortion and plundering of resources including diamonds. The alleged atrocities occurred in 2002-2003 during Operation "Erase the Slate" by the RCD-N, supported by Uganda and allied with the MLC.
Read at The Local France
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