. >>> the former vice president of where democratic republic of congo, jean pe pierre bemba, has beenonvictof are rape. >> dispatched across the border into congo from the central african republic to attempt to suppress a coup. what they did when they actually got there was engage in rape murder and pillaging, war crimes essentially. at the heart of all of this is just how much control jean pierre bemba had over his troops. 70 gave evidence at the ick. soldiers. went from house to house, stealing whatever they could carry, sexually humiliating women and even men. the question was whether jean pierre bemba knew what his troops were doing, and the court here decided that he did. they found that he had direct contact and direct lines of communicates with his generals that he on occasion meted out disciplinary acts on his soldiers. the ic found him guilty on all five charges they was charged with. he now faces a significant period of time in prison, it could be as much as life in prison if the judges decide the gravity of the charges warrant it. >> paul brennan at the hague. >>> alleged r

at home in the democratic republican of congress, bemba has his supporters and even ran for office as vice president. many want him jailed. >> while in the c.a.r., men from his congolese liberation movement ran amok for months employee the wounds inflicted will take generations to heal. >> the judge still reading through the charges. the verdict may take some while to deliver. paul, remind us of the significance, the wider significance of this case. >> the wider significance of this case basically goes to it being the first major case here at the i.c.c., which is concentrated on the use of sexual violence and rape as a weapon of war. feminist groups, international human rights groups applauded the international criminal court for bringing this case and for prosecuting bemba on this basis. the repercussion of that will go to conflict around the world where that conflict back in 2002 is not the only place where rape is alleged to have been used and it will, many people hope put other dictators and regimes on watch that their crimes, alleged crimes will one day be prosecuted. >> paul, we

it has taken time, what is the story behind on what bemba is said to have done? five years in the dark, yes, i think an outcome that the courts are pleased with, and complainers are hugely impressed by, the story goes back to 2002. they had raised himself a private militia for various political purposes. but in october of 2002 he has sent 1500 of those soldiers across the board north to the central african republic where they are employed for the coup attempt. what they did when they got there, thoughs was not just fight along side the car's forces, they engaged in a systemic campaign of murder, rape, and pillage. they would split up into small platoons. they would go house to house. they would steal whatever they can carry. they would murder people and rape, women, girls, men sometimes. it was a terrifying six-month campaign. the judge detailed some of the offenses. it was horrible, frankly, to listen to some of the gross humiliations that were meted out to some of the victims in all of this. the question is whether bembe was actually in charge. he said once the

. >> bemba never actually issued an order to rape and murder and his defense team existed that his militia crossed the boarder into the car, and were under the command of that country's leadership. in 2007 before his arrest. bamba was interviewed by al jazeera and brushed away questions by the i.c.c. >> reporter: you will know the international criminal court... >> no, oimpt involved in -- i'm not involved in anyway of these things. >> reporter: what i'm saying they have you in their sights, don't they? >> no, no, that's not true. check your information. >> reporter: so there's no question of you ever having to go to the hague. >> it's over >>> but nine years later the i.c.c. found unanimously against him. the 5-year trial of john pierre bem ba heard details of the cynical sexual humiliation by the soldiers. rape was commonplace. there were gang rapes, people were raped in front of relatives, one woman was raped by two soldiers and diagnosed are h.i.v. it was a court's decision to put the sexual crimes at the front and center of the case against jean pierre bem ba which sets the case out a