Mandela’s grandson accused of rape

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A grandson of Nelson Mandela accused of raping a 15- year-old girl appeared in a South African court on Friday where a judge will decide whether he will be granted bail.

Members of the Mandela family were in the cramped courtroom where Mbuso Mandela, 24, appeared. He has been in police custody since his arrest on Saturday.

According to South African law, due to the seriousness of the charge, his defense attorneys will have to present evidence to support his release on bail.

The rape allegedly took place in a bathroom at a restaurant in Greenside, a Johannesburg suburb, on Aug. 7, police said.

Earlier this week, the teenager’s family accused Winnie Madikizela-Mandela of trying to derail the complaint, a family spokesman said. Madikizela-Mandela, the late Mandela’s divorced wife, sent her bodyguard to the 15- year-old girl’s home, where he posed as a police officer, the spokesman said.

Madikizela-Mandela also met with the family, where she promised to ask the provincial police commissioner to handle the case and said her family would also hold a press conference, the spokesman said.

The teenager’s family reported the rape when they did not hear from Madikizela- Mandela again.

Madikizela- Mandela’s office has not responded to questions about the alleged interference.

Convicted warlord seeks early release

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Congolese warlord convicted of using child soldiers appealed Friday to the International Criminal Court for early release from his 14- year sentence, saying he wants to go to university to research the causes of ethnic conflicts.

Thomas Lubanga, the first person convicted by the court, deployed children in a brutal conflict in the eastern Ituri region of Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-2003.

His lawyers argue that Lubanga has been in custody — including time spent incarcerated before and during his drawn-out trial — for more than 12 years and is eligible for early release after serving more than two-thirds of his sentence.

However, prosecutors urged judges not to release him, saying he allegedly has been interfering with witnesses in another case linked to the conflict in Congo. Lubanga denied the allegations.

Luc Walleyn, a lawyer representing Lubanga’s victims, said they fear his release could spark renewed tensions in war-ravaged eastern Congo, “and could ultimately lead to renewed armed conflict.”

Lubanga has always denied knowingly using child soldiers in the armed wing of his Union of Congolese Patriots political movement, saying that he actively tried to demobilize children who had been recruited. On Friday he told judges, “to my mind, there is no place in an army for children.”

He said that he wants to return to Congo and embark on doctoral studies in the city of Kisangani aimed at fostering peace between different ethnic groups in his country.

“I hope to help identify a new form of sociology that will help the tribal groups to live together in harmony,” he said.

New prime minister in Sri Lanka sworn in

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new prime minister as the island nation’s two major political parties signed an agreement to work together in the new parliament.

His victory in Monday’s election thwarted a political comeback bid by the country’s former strongman president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, seven months after he lost his presidential re-election bid.

Wickremsinghe, a lawmaker since 1977, has already served three times as prime minister, a position second to the president in Sri Lanka. He was sworn in on Friday before President Maithripala Sirisena.

UN envoy urges end to sexual violence

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A United Nations envoy trying to prevent sexual violence in conflicts is urging government leaders to prohibit sexual attacks by security forces and reinforce justice systems to ensure punishment for perpetrators.

Zainab Hawa Bangura told the Security Council she has been urging leaders in “priority countries” over the past two years to sign agreements with the U.N. to carry out these and other security sector reforms.

She reported “tangible results” in Congo, where there have been widespread reports of rape and sexual abuse by soldiers.

In 2014, Bangura said, military tribunals convicted 135 people of violent sexual crimes including 76 from the armed forces, 41 from the national police and 18 members of armed groups.

Her briefing Thursday came amid multiple reports of rape by U.N. peacekeepers in Central African Republic.