The leader of a much feared Democratic Republic of Congo militia has become the first war crimes suspect to face charges at the International Criminal Court in Hague, BBC Online reports Sunday.
Thomas Lubanga was transferred to ICC custody on Friday from DR Congo. He appeared before the court, based in the Dutch city, to face three charges relating to the use of children in armed groups. The ICC was set up in 2002 as a permanent court to deal with war crimes and genocide around the world.
Mr Lubanga was arrested a year ago after nine Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers were killed in the volatile Ituri area. His ethnic Hema Union of Congolese Patriots has been battling rivals from the Lendu ethnic group, partly for control of Ituris large deposits of gold.
CHARGES FACED BY LUBANGA
Enlisting children under the age of 15 into armed groups
Conscripting children under the age of 15 into armed groups
Using children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities
Several teams of ICC investigators have been sent in recent months to Ituri, where more than 50.000 people have died since the inter-ethnic war began in 1999.
Mr Lubanga emerged as one of the most notorious warlords in the civil war of the late 1990s. Soldiers under his command are accused not just of murder, torture and rape, but also of mutilating their victims. In one massacre, human rights groups say, Mr Lubangas militiamen killed civilians using a sledgehammer (stor forhammer).
At different times, the UPC was backed by both Uganda and Rwanda – DR Congos neighbours, which were closely involved in its conflict.
Some 17.000 UN peacekeepers are in DR Congo, tasked with ensuring that elections scheduled for June 18. go smoothly. They have been backing up the Congolese army as it conducts raids against the numerous rebel groups based in the east.
The challenge for DR Congo and the ICC is to bring to justice the many other warlords who committed crimes during the civil war. Rape and killings still continue in the east and for now the charges against Mr Lubanga are an exception, and impunity still the norm.
The ICC has issued its first arrest warrants for the leaders of Ugandas fearsome rebel Lords Resistance Army but they remain at large. It is also investigating alleged war crimes in Sudans Darfur region, BBC adds.
