FORMER CONGOLESE LEADER FACING TRIAL SHOULD REMAIN IN ICC CUSTODY – PROSECUTOR

Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo should remain in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) until the start of his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Court's Prosecutor stated as he appealed the decision to the former Congolese leader a temporary release.

On 14 August, the Court decided to grant Mr. Bemba's the request for interim release, albeit under conditions. The former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) faces charges for alleged crimes committed in the Central African Republic (CAR) between October 2002 and March 2003, including rape, murder and pillaging.

Mr. Bemba will be released once the conditions have been set, and it has been determined which country will take him in until his trial, a date for which has not yet been set.

Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo stated in his filing to the Appeals Chamber that Mr. Bemba is a flight risk and may harm witnesses involved in his trial, according to a news release issued by the ICC, which is based in The Hague.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo also requested suspensive effect to the appeal, so that there is no possibility of Mr. Bemba's release while it is under consideration by the Appeals Chamber.

"Mr. Bemba is still presumed innocent but must stay in the detention centre. We will do all we can to ensure he stands trial as soon as possible and that victims see justice done," said the Prosecutor.

The ICC is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
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ESCALATING VIOLENCE UPROOTS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CENTRAL AFRICANS, UN SAYS

Intensified clashes in the Central African Republic have driven tens of thousands of civilians from their homes, the United Nations reported today, noting that the unrest could prolong the humanitarian crisis that has wracked the country for more than a decade.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the violence could also jeopardize progress towards power-sharing between the Government and rebel groups.

The latest fighting in north-west of the CAR between Government troops and an emerging rebel forces, known as the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), have led some 6,400 people to escape into the bush, while over 9,000 others have fled across the border to Chad.

In the past ten years, over 300,000 people have been displaced by violence in the country.

In 2008, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) began returning to their villages after peace agreements were signed with rebel groups, culminating with the holding of successful inclusive political dialogue, bringing all groups together in the capital, Bangui.

But renewed clashes this January across the country's north have forced nearly 24,000 to flee. While efforts are under way to help the IDPs, Government forces have limited access to those in need several times this month.

"Those who have fled their homes and lost their livelihoods are now in desperate need of protection and humanitarian aid," said Mai Moussa Abari, interim Humanitarian Coordinator for CAR.

He called on the Government to ensure consistent access for aid workers to all of those uprooted by the recent violence.

According to OCHA, below one-quarter of the $116 million needed for this year's Coordinated Aid Programme (CAP) has been funded, with critical shortfalls in key areas such as health and protection.
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CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES CONTINUE FLEEING INTO CHAD, UN REPORTS

More than 100 CAR refugees crossed the volatile border to south-eastern Chad over the weekend, joining over 6,800 others who began arriving earlier this year in two sites near the remote Daha village registered by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Another 2,500 new arrivals are sheltering just across the border in the Chadian village of Massambaye, 125 kilometres east of Daha.

According to UNHCR spokesperson, Ron Redmond, the arrivals – most of whom are women, children and elderly people – have told the agency that they escaped clashes between Government forces and rebels in northern CAR.

"Refugees said they walked for two days before reaching the border," he told reporters in Geneva. "They said more people were still hiding in the bush in CAR for fear of being attacked or killed, and were trying to reach safety in Chad."

They also told UNHCR that they do not want to return to their homes in CAR at this point because of the insecurity in the north of their country and have expressed their desire to remain close to the Chad-CAR border, Mr. Redmond said.

UNHCR and its partners are supplying plastic sheeting, mats, blankets and other items to the refugees, who have started building their own small huts.

"We will continue to provide ad hoc assistance to those in Daha and Massambaye, but the region will become inaccessible once the rainy season starts at the end of April," the UNCHR spokesperson said.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has provided food rations for one month, with other distributions in the pipeline, while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has built communal latrines.

For its part, UNHCR is assisting Daha's health centre, and malnourished refugee children are receiving supplementary food while all newly-arrived children are receiving vaccinations for measles and polio.

In southern Chad, there are currently some 56,000 CAR refugees, while in the country's east, over 250,000 Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in the Darfur region are living in 12 UNHCR-run camps. Additionally, the agency is helping over 160,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Chad.
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