DRC: ICC Starting to Grow Baby Teeth

(Image from AFP)

On May 25th, the International Criminal Court arrested the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) former Vice-President Jean Pierre-Bemba. This marks the fourth Congolese suspect that has been turned into ICC custody.

Bemba, a multi-millionaire businessman, became a political celebrity to some in the region by leading the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC). The MLC, eventually converting itself into a political party, has now become the DRC's main opposition party.

From his leadership in the DRC, former-Central African Republic (CAR) president Ange Felix Patasse asked Bemba if he and the MLC could help put down a coup in his country from October 2002 - March 2003. During this period, the International Criminal Court alleges that Bemba and his troops committed widespread human rights violations in the CAR -- rape, torture, pillaging, and degradation of civilians. Bemba's arrest marks the first since the CAR referred the situation to the ICC in May 2007.

MLC members have been vehemently protesting the arrest of Bemba, arguing that the blame should be placed on former president Ange Felix Patasse instead. Human rights groups, though satisfied with Bemba's arrest, also advocate that other high-level officials in the CAR like Patasse also need to be held accountable.

It seems that the ICC slowly but surely has been starting to gain some credibility and growing "baby teeth." Though continuing to face challenges and criticisms with each arrest warrant, it is critical that states around the world continue to support the pursuit of a functional mechanism of international justice in our world to impose a cost for impunity.