In a significant development, an investigating judge has ordered the trial of 65-year-old Roger Lumbala, currently detained in France since his arrest at the end of 2020. Lumbala, a former opposition lawmaker who led the RCD-N party, is accused of leading an armed group suspected by UN investigators of committing heinous acts, including extrajudicial killings, rapes, and cannibalism during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s civil war from 1998-2002.
The charges specifically relate to Lumbala’s actions in 2002 in the north-eastern Ituri region, predominantly targeting the Nande and Twa ethnic groups, according to prosecutors at the time of his arrest.
A United Nations report from 2003 initially implicated Lumbala, who later served as a minister in the DRC’s transitional government between 2004 and 2005. Despite rejecting the allegations, Lumbala was arrested following a police investigation launched in December 2016.
Crucially, the French judiciary has the authority to arrest and prosecute individuals suspected of committing crimes against humanity abroad. This marks a historic step towards justice for crimes against humanity, as the French investigative judge has indicted Lumbala for his alleged complicity in these acts, including murder, torture, and other inhumane acts.
Human rights groups, including the Clooney Foundation for Justice, TRIAL International, Minority Rights Group, and Justice Plus, have welcomed the news. In a joint statement, they asserted that “this indictment means that there is sufficient evidence to try Roger Lumbala for complicity in crimes against humanity and conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity.”
The trial is expected to take place in Paris in 2025, as Lumbala, a long-time resident in France, provides the French justice system with jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to Xavier Macky, director of Justice Plus, “Lumbala’s trial in France represents the first glimmer of hope for Congolese victims of the Second Congo War who have been waiting for justice for over two decades.”
This development signifies a crucial step towards accountability and justice for the victims of grave human rights abuses, providing hope for those who have endured the long-lasting impact of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
