Jean-Pierre Bemba

·         On July 3, 2008 Jean-Pierre Bemba, ex-vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo was extradited to The Hague to face trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

·         Jean-Pierre Bemba, who fled DR Congo last year, was detained in Belgium in May. He will face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

·         Bemba is accused over atrocities allegedly committed by his forces in the Central African Republic in 2002.

·         The one-time rebel leader has always denied the charges against him.

·         Bemba went into exile after being accused of high treason in his home country for refusing to disarm his militia after his defeat in presidential elections in 2006.

·         The successful businessman was one of four vice-presidents in a transitional government in the war-torn African nation between 2003 and 2006.

·         He was leader of the rebel group, the Movement for the Liberation of Congo, which later became a political party.

·         In 2002, his group was asked by the former president of the Central African Republic, Ange-Felix Patasse, to help put down a coup attempt.