The Katanga Case
Background
On 7 March 2014, Trial Chamber II found Mr Katanga guilty as an accessory to one count of a crime against humanity (murder) and four counts of war crimes (murder, attacking a civilian population, destruction of property and pillaging) committed on 24 February 2003 during the attack on the village of Bogoro, in the Ituri district of the DRC.
On 24 March 2017, Trial Chamber II issued an Order awarding individual and collective reparations to the victims of crimes committed by Mr Katanga. The judges awarded 297 victims with an individual, symbolic compensation of USD 250 per victim, as well as with collective reparations in the form of support for housing, income-generating activities and educational and psychological support.
Due to Mr Katanga's indigence, the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) was invited to consider using its resources for the reparations. In May 2017, the TFV Board of Directors decided to provide USD 1 million for the reparations awarded to victims in the Katanga case, covering the full amount of the costs of the reparation awards ordered by the Trial Chamber.
On 8 March 2018, the Appeals Chamber confirmed, for the most part, the Reparations Order in the case.
Current Reparations Activities (confidentially conducted proceedings)
The implementation of reparations is being carried out by the TFV itself:
Individual reparations: A symbolic compensation of USD 250 per victim for 297 identified victims (USD 74,250).
Collective reparations: (USD 925,750) in the form of:
- Housing support
- Educational assistance
- Income-generating activities
- Psychological support
Milestones & Progress
Over the course of two years, the TFV has made significant progress in the implementation of reparations:
- By mid-2019, the TFV had fully disbursed the individual reparation awards.
- By the end of 2020, the TFV had concluded the implementation of the educational assistance and nearly fully concluded the implementation of the income-generating activities.
- For the implementation of the housing assistance and the psychological support, the Trust Fund continues to work closely with the legal representatives and several sections and units of the Registry in order to find suitable solutions.