ICC issues warrant for Rwandan militia chief Mudacumura

AP - Judges at the International Criminal Court have issued an arrest warrant for a Rwandan commander in a notorious militia accused of widespread atrocities in eastern Congo.

The court said in a statement Friday it has issued the warrant for Sylvestre Mudacumura following a request in May by then-prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.

Judges say there are “reasonable grounds to believe” Mudacumura is responsible for nine war crimes including murder, mutilation, rape and pillage, in the Kivus region of Congo.

The 58-year-old is allegedly a field commander in the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which is also known by its French acronym FDLR.

Judges initially rejected the application for an arrest warrant, but prosecutors then filed a more detailed request, leading to Friday’s decision.