ICC Revokes Bail On Congo's Bemba

Jean-Pierre Bemba

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reversed its own decision to award bail to Congolese war crimes suspect .

Judges at The Hague decided Mr Bemba, Democratic Republic of Congo's ex-vice-president, might flee if set free.

Mr Bemba, who has not entered a plea, is accused of leading militias who murdered and raped civilians in Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.

He was arrested in Belgium last year and extradited to The Hague.

The court had granted him bail in August, but said he would not be freed until it could be decided which country would host him.

But appeals judge Akua Kuenyehia ruled that there was a risk he would flee, and revoked the bail.

Politically motivated?
Mr Bemba led a militia known as the Movement for the Liberation of Congo during DR Congo's brutal civil war.

After a peace deal ending the war in 2003, he laid down his arms and joined an interim government as vice-president.

But fighters from his militia have been accused of committing atrocities when they intervened in the conflict in the Central African Republic.

He says his troops were not under his command once they crossed the border into CAR to help then-President Ange-Felix Patasse put down a coup attempt in 2002.

He is to face trial on three counts of war crimes and two of crimes against humanity.

One of his defence lawyers has suggested that the charges may be politically motivated to remove Mr Bemba from future elections in DR Congo.

He lost a run-off election against President Joseph Kabila in 2006.

He later fled the country after being charged with treason after his bodyguards clashed with the army in 2007.