But Géraldine Mattioli-Zeltner, international justice advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said the sentence offered a measure of justice for victims of sexual violence in Central African Republic. Bemba, a former Democratic Republic of Congo vice-president, is the first person that the global war crimes court has held directly responsible for his subordinates' crimes. “It also sends a clear message that impunity for sexual violence as a tool Congolese politician Jean-Pierre Bemba was sentenced to 18 years in prison by the International Criminal Court on Tuesday for heading a 2002-03 campaign of rape and murder in neighbouring Central African Republic. Amnesty International praised the sentence calling it justice for sexual violence victims.

Source: The Star June 21, 2016 12:47 UTC