An armed group he led is accused of crimes together with rape, abstract executions, mutilation and cannibalism throughout a lethal civil battle within the Democratic Republic of Congo.
French prosecutors additionally accuse Lumbala of “participation in a group formed for the purpose of preparing war crimes.”
The UN investigation “confirmed a pattern of looting, killing and rape as tactics of war” in 2002 for RCD-N forces within the Beni space, within the northeastern area of Ituri.
“The summary executions targeted the Nande ethnic group and Pygmies, who were forced to flee to the forest for the first time to escape persecution,” the UN report stated.
“The victims reported several cases of mutilation followed by acts of cannibalism,” the report added.
Between 12 and 29 October 2002, RCD-N troopers allegedly killed 173 civilians and carried out “acts of cannibalism”, says the report. An unknown variety of civilians had been mutilated whereas troopers raped a “large number” of girls and youngsters.
The report hyperlinks different incidences of mutilation, rape and cannibalism to the ‘Clean the blackboard’ operation.
The French judiciary has the jurisdiction to prosecute circumstances of crimes towards humanity dedicated overseas on overseas victims if the perpetrators are current on French territory or are residents in France.
In 1996, dissident teams led by Laurent Kabila — and strongly supported by Rwanda and Uganda — rose in revolt towards endemic corruption. They entered the nation’s capital of Kinshasa in May 1997 and Kabila declared himself president.
Internal and exterior dissatisfaction with Kabila steadily grew till 1998, when a brand new insurgent group — once more backed by Rwanda and Uganda — fashioned and a second battle broke out.
In January 2001, Kabila was assassinated by one among his bodyguards and his son, Joseph Kabila, took over. Under the youthful Kabila, overseas forces steadily departed and the Congolese events managed to achieve an settlement for a transitional nationwide authorities that included the three main belligerent teams, quite a lot of smaller ex-rebel actions and representatives of civil society and the political opposition.
Lumbala becamse a minister on this authorities between 2004 and 2005.
