02 Sep 2009

The International Criminal Court has reportedly put off the trial of two Congolese militiamen charged with using child soldiers, murder, rape, and sexual slavery.

"The chamber found that compelling reasons require that the date of September 24 initially set for the commencement of the trial be put back," the court said in a statement.

The ICC also said the trials of two accused Congolese warlords, Germain Katanga, 31, and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, 38, will now start in The Hague on November 24 instead of September 24 as originally scheduled.

The defendants are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is said that the militia leaders directed a joint attack in February 2003 on the village of Bogoro in the mineral-rich northeastern Congolese district of Ituri.

There is evidence that more than 200 children, women, old people, and civilian men were killed and that women were detained in camps and repeatedly raped.

The ICC has also issued arrest warrants for two other war crimes suspects in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In addition, there are two other suspects -- ex-militia chief Thomas Lubanga, who is currently on trial in The Hague, and another warlord, Bosco Ntaganda, who is still at large.

presstv