The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally closed its case against Sylvestre Mudacumura, the former alleged commander of the FDLR rebel group, following confirmation of his death. The court has also withdrawn the arrest warrant issued against him 14 years ago.
The decision was made on November 12, 2026, by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC after reviewing information confirming that Mudacumura was killed during a military operation conducted by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in 2019.
In reaching its decision, the chamber explained that the court’s legal framework does not allow proceedings to continue against a deceased person.
It relied on information provided by the ICC Registry and the Office of the Prosecutor, indicating that Mudacumura was killed during a FARDC military operation in the DRC on or around September 17, 2019.
The chamber reviewed testimonies from various individuals and publicly available information. It concluded that there was no evidence establishing that Mudacumura was still alive.
The ICC also approved the prosecution’s request to withdraw the arrest warrant, meaning that any outstanding cooperation requests seeking his location and arrest will no longer be pursued.
Mudacumura faced nine counts of war crimes
On July 13, 2012, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Sylvestre Mudacumura, who was suspected of serving as the overall military commander of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
At the time, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor accused him of involvement in nine counts of war crimes allegedly committed between January 20, 2009, and late September 2010, during fighting in the Kivu provinces of the DRC.
The alleged crimes included attacks against civilians, murder, mutilation, cruel treatment, rape, torture, destruction of property, pillaging and outrages upon personal dignity.
The prosecution alleged that Mudacumura played a role in issuing orders that led to the commission of these crimes by forces under FDLR command. However, these remained allegations, as he was never arrested or brought before the court to stand trial.
The ICC’s decision to close the case means that no further proceedings will be pursued against him over the alleged crimes, following the court’s confirmation of his death.
