[ 2012-07-08 ]

War crimes court's first sentence due on DR Congo warlord
THE HAGUE (AFP) - The International Criminal Court
will hand Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga its
first-ever sentence on Tuesday, for using child
soldiers in a brutal conflict in the central
African country.

Lubanga, 51, was convicted in March of war crimes,
specifically for using child soldiers in his rebel
army in the Democratic Republic of Congo in
2002-03, in the ICC's first verdict since it
started work a decade ago.

The former militia commander will face the bench
at a public hearing set down for 9.30 am (0730
GMT) for his part in a war which humanitarian NGOs
say has left some 60,000 people since 1999.

Lubanga was found guilty of abducting children as
young as 11 and forcing them to fight and commit
atrocities in the DRC's northeastern gold-rich
Ituri region. During the trial prosecutors told
how young girls served as sex-slaves, while boys
were trained to fight.

The Hague-based court's former chief prosecutor
Luis Moreno-Ocampo earlier this month called for a
30-year sentence against Lubanga, saying his
crimes were "of the most serious concern for the
international community".

"These children were told to kill and rape. That
was the education he (Lubanga) gave these
children," said Moreno-Ocampo. He has since handed
over the position to Gambia's Fatou Bensouda.

Moreno-Ocampo at the time did however say he would
be ready to accept a lesser sentence of 20 years
should Lubanga "sincerely apologise" and actively
engage in helping "to prevent further crimes."

Lubanga, who has been detained in The Hague since
2006 is the founder of the Union of Congolese
Patriots (UPC) and commander of its military wing
the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo
(FPLC).

He pleaded not guilty and has maintained his
innocence, adding at a June 13 hearing to discuss
his sentence that the court's decision to find him
guilty of war crimes hit him "like a bullet in the
face."

"I am being presented as a warlord... but I never
accepted or tolerated such enlistments taking
place."

If sent to jail, the ICC will determine where
Lubanga should serve his time.

Six countries have indicated their willingness to
accept prisoners sentenced by the ICC: Austria,
Belgium, Britain, Finland, Mali and Serbia.

So far Lubanga's team has not indicated whether
they would appeal his conviction or sentencing or
both.

The ICC, the world's only independent, permanent
tribunal to try genocide, war crimes and crimes
against humanity has issued four arrest warrants
for crimes in the DRC since opening its doors in
2003.

Two militia leaders, Germain Katanga, 34 and
Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, 41, who fought against
Lubanga, are currently facing trial on similar
charges.

Former UPC leader Bosco Ntaganda, a Lubanga ally,
is yet to be arrested to face the Hague-based
court on war crimes charges.

The ICC is investigating seven cases, all based in
Africa.

Source - AFP

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