Congolese warlord, acquitted at ICC, applies for asylum in Holland

An alleged warlord from the Democratic Republic of Congo has applied for asylum in the Netherlands after being aquitted of war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, according to African news agency Hirondelle.

Mathieu Ngudjolo was cleared of crimes against humanity charges for a 2003 attack on a village that claimed 200 lives in December.

After his acquittal, Ngudjolo was picked up by the Dutch police because he did not have valid documents to remain in the Netherlands. He has been held at a refugee centre near Schiphol airport since then.

According to his lawyer, Ngudjolo fears being arrested if he is returned to DR Congo because of his outspoken views on president Joseph Kabila.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation