Colonel convicted of ordering mass rapes in Congo

A CONGOLESE colonel has become the first senior officer to be convicted of organising one of the country’s many savage army mass rapes.

Lt Col Mutuare Daniel Kibibi was jailed for 20 years for crimes against humanity yesterday.

Kibibi, 46, was accused of ordering his troops to attack the village of Fizi on New Year’s Day where 62 women were raped. One gave evidence that Kibibi himself raped her for 40 minutes.

As he was led away in handcuffs, hundreds of people jeered, booed and shook their fists. Some shouted: “Kibibi! You thought you could get away with this! Now you are going to jail!” and “You must pay for your crimes!”

Kibibi, who is married with eight children, was convicted of four counts of crimes against humanity but will serve no more than 20 years in prison. He denies all the charges and says evidence by his bodyguards was part of a plot to denigrate him.

Kibibi’s lawyer Alfred Maisha described his client as a “valiant hero” who had served in the army since 1984 and had put his life at risk many times in the defence of the country. Maisha said many of the troops under Kibibi’s command were poorly trained and included former members of rebel and militia groups.

Witnesses said the soldiers had descended in a fury from their hilltop camp, smashing down doors and going from home to home, pillaging, beating and raping, from 7pm until 6am the following day.

The 49 women who testified about the New Year’s Day attacks will receive up to $5,000 (€3,600) each in compensation from the government as part of the verdict handed down.

Rape has long been used as a weapon of war in eastern Congo, where soldiers and various militia groups use sexual violence to intimidate, punish and control the population.

At least 8,300 rapes were committed in 2009, and aid workers say the victims have even included a month-old baby boy and elderly women.

The mobile court of military judges and pro bono lawyers was paid for by George Soros’ Open Society Initiative and aided by several agencies including the American Bar Association, Lawyers Without Borders and the UN Mission to Congo.