afrol News, 27 May - The apprehension of the exiled former Vice-President of Congo (DRC) Jean Pierre Bemba could perhaps spell new era of peace to the war torn Central African country, after his banishment a year ago left hundreds of people dead in the capital Kinshasa.

The 46 year-old former rebel warlord was arrested near Brussels, Belgium last Saturday, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

However, Mr Bemba's loyalists condemn the arrest, which they called a gambit to oust their leader from active politics as well as rid the mineral rich state opposition. In a statement, his party, the former rebel militia the Congo Liberation Movement Party (CLM) demanded his immediate release, adding, "The CLM notes with regret the politicisation of the judicial process undertaken by the International Criminal Court."

Mr Bemba's arrest over the past weekend came after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant for his apprehension for atrocities comprising mass murders, rape, torture and pillage, which he allegedly prompted in the neighbouring Central African Republic between 2002 and 2003.

At the time of his arrest, the former rebel leader who is denying all charges laid against him was exiled in Portugal. According to the Belgian government, Mr Bemba's transfer to the International Court in The Hague would take between 60 and 90 days to finalise.

Mr Bemba has served as one of the four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) until 2006, after losing to the incumbent President Joseph Kabila. He was elected to the Senate last year after receiving the second highest votes in the former Belgian colony's 2006 presidential election.

Mr Bemba was born in Bokada in the Equateur Province on 4 November 1962. He is one of the richest men in the DRC, with an estimated fortune of several hundred million US$. In 2002, the former president of the Central African Republic, Ange-Felix Patassé, invited him and his CLM militia to help suppress a coup attempt, hence the alleged atrocities that ensued.

In March 2003, President Patassé was ousted, and the government that replaced him pressed charges against him and Mr Bemba in September 2004. International arrest warrants were issued, but because the new Central African Republic government was unable to have Mr Bemba arrested, the matter was referred to the ICC.

Mr Bemba was one of the 33 candidates who ran in the 2006 DRC presidential election. During his campaign, he was accused of cannibalism, after allegations that he had eaten Pygmies while fighting in the Central African Republic in 2002. He however vehemently denied the charges.

Although he put up a strong fight in the second round of the ensuing elections, he lost to President Kabila, who won 58 percent of the votes. However, his followers claimed that the elections were rigged. His fraud charges against President Kabila were rejected by the DRC Supreme Court hence he eventually relented, claiming to do so in the interest of the people, to preserve peace as well as save the country from "chaos and violence."

Due to a substantial following, he was elected into the Senate in the January 2007 senatorial election. But a discord over his personal guard led to an outbreak of fresh conflict in Kinshasa on 22 March 2007. As a result, hundreds of people died after two days of grim fighting between government forces and his loyalist troops, but the Congolese army restored order in the capital.

He called for a ceasefire, after foiled negotiations that followed, thus fled and sought sanctuary in the South African embassy. A warrant for his arrest was issued thereafter, charging him with high treason. For his part, he accused the government for starting the fighting which caused a lot of lives, claiming an assassination attempt on him by the state forces.

According to estimates made, over 600 people were killed in the skirmishes. Hundreds of fighters loyal to Mr Bemba, both in Kinshasa and the north of the country, reportedly surrendered following the fighting, to be later integrated into the national army.

After unrelenting unrests that ensued, Mr Bemba was flown out of the country on 11 April to Portugal, where he remained until his inevitable arrest. About the former rebel leader's apprehension, human rights campaigners said Mr Bemba should also be investigated for atrocities committed by his group during Congo's 1998 to 2003 civil war.

The International Federation of Leagues of Human Rights (FIDH) along with its member organisations the Central League of Human Rights (LCDH) and the Organisation for compassion and development of families in distress (OCODEFAD) have hailed the arrest. Reports show that they in fact were the first to investigate the tragic events of 2002 and 2003.

"The arrest of Jean Pierre Bemba is a great victory for the Central African victims, whose courage and selflessness are welcome today. For six years, despite threats and stigmatisation, these victims have continued to demand justice. The International Court finally made this right. This is a tremendous step forward in the fight against impunity in Africa and the world," said the President of FIDH, Souhayr Belhassen.

It is reported that to date, there has been no reaction from the Congolese government with regard to Mr Bemba's highly welcome apprehension.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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