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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009
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Int'l Criminal Court Opens With Congo Trial

In first case, warlord pleads not guilty to using child soldiers

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(Newser) – The International Criminal Court in The Hague began its first trial today, as a Congolese militia leader pleaded not guilty to charges of using child soldiers. The court's prosecutor accused Thomas Lubanga of using hundreds of boys as young as nine "to kill, pillage, and rape" in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The case is the first to come before the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal since it was established in 2002.

Lubanga's trial, which aims to send a signal that militia leaders cannot commit atrocities with impunity, is receiving wide coverage in Congo, reports the BBC. Some 108 states are party to the ICC, although the United States has so far not joined. While conducting several trials arising from the conflict in the Congo, the court is also considering whether to issue an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president accused of genocide in Darfur.

Alleged Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga, center, is seen at the start of a hearing at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006. His trial began today.
Alleged Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga, center, is seen at the start of a hearing at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006. His trial began today.   ( AP Photo/ Bas Czerwinski, File)
A bodyguard stands behind the leader of the rebel Union of Congolese Patriots, Thomas Lubanga, in this Tuesday, June 3, 2003 file photo, during a rally by the rebel group in Bunia, Congo.
A bodyguard stands behind the leader of the rebel Union of Congolese Patriots, Thomas Lubanga, in this Tuesday, June 3, 2003 file photo, during a rally by the rebel group in Bunia, Congo.   (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo, File)
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, speaks during a symposium on international law and justice at the Council on Foreign Relations Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 in New York.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, speaks during a symposium on international law and justice at the Council on Foreign Relations Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 in New York.   (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Luis Moreno Ocampo, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, gestures during an interview with the Associated Press in Bogota, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008.
Luis Moreno Ocampo, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, gestures during an interview with the Associated Press in Bogota, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008.   (AP Photo/William Fernando Martinez)
The International Criminal Court in The Hague began its first trial today.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague began its first trial today.   (©celesteh)
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The children still suffer the consequences of Lubanga's crimes. They cannot forget what they suffered, what they saw, what they did. They were nine, 11, 13 years old. - Prosecutor's opening statement against Congloles leader Thomas Lubanga

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2 comments
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Mr.C
Jan 26, 09 2:31 PM CST
it has been months and hundreds of deaths as they "decide to issue and Arrest Warrant" for that killer Reply
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Shannonals
Jan 26, 09 2:44 PM CST
No need for a warrant when you have plenty of snipers who can render justice Reply
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