CONGOLESE COURT'S MAI MAI CONVICTION DRAWS APPLAUSE -- A Congolese military court found Mai Mai commander Gedeon Kyunga Mutanga and 20 of his men guilty of charges that included crimes against humanity on March 5. The landmark conviction has drawn applause from the rights community as a significant step towards bringing accountability to the war-ravaged country. The court also found the Congolese government liable for failing to disarm the Mai Mai and awarded financial compensation to dozens of victims, setting an important precedent for the scope of responsibility in human rights cases. "This trial has shown the important role that Congolese courts play in giving victims a voice and in making clear that attacks on civilians will have serious consequences," Human Rights Watch senior Africa researcher Anneke Van Woudenberg said in a press release.
Rights & Wrongs: Gambia, Nigeria, Uruguay and More
