Former Congolese vice president Bemba transferred to war crimes court for trial

Former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba was extradited from Belgium on Thursday to stand trial before an international war crimes tribunal charging him with responsibility for rape and murder, the court said.

Bemba was transferred to a prison near The Hague, seat of the International Criminal Court where he faces charges stemming from the intervention of his militia in the neighboring Central African Republic in 2002-2003.

Prosecutors say Bemba's militia used rape as a weapon of war to terrorize entire communities after the president, Ange-Felix Patasse, asked for his help to fend off a coup attempt.

Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that, although Bemba later held positions in Congo such as senator and vice president, he "has no immunity. ... He will face justice."

Bemba had full authority for all political and military decisions by his militia, the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, the court said. Others shared responsibility, it said, indicating that more indictments were possible.

Richard Dicker, head of international justice for the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Bemba's transfer represented "a terrific moment" for the victims in the Central African Republic.

Bemba, who is about 45, was arrested at his home in a Brussels suburb on May 24, the day after the court issued a warrant. A second arrest warrant was issued June 10 when the judges asked Belgium to surrender him to its custody.

Bemba ruled a large part of northeastern Congo as a warlord and rebel leader during that country's 1998-2002 war. He was made one of four vice presidents in a transitional government before elections in 2006. He was then elected to the Senate, but a clash between his men and government forces led to his being accused of treason _ and he fled Portugal last year.

Moreno-Ocampo announced Bemba's transfer to The Hague during a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court as the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal. The court became operational in 2002.

On Wednesday, prosecutors suffered a setback when judges ordered the release of the court's first suspect for fear he would not receive a fair trial. Prosecutors have five days to appeal the release of Thomas Lubanga, another Congolese militia leader.

The judges said the prosecution was withholding evidence it obtained on a confidential basis from the United Nations and other sources, including material that could help exonerate Lubanga or mitigate his guilt.