Congolese militia chief convicted of war crimes in first ever ICC verdict

The International Criminal Court on Wednesday convicted Congolese militia chief Thomas Lubanga of war crimes for conscripting children into his rebel army, the tribunal’s first ever verdict. Lubanga was found guilty of recruiting and deploying child soldiers during a five-year conflict until 2003. An estimated 60,000 people were killed. “The chamber concludes that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mr. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is guilty of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 years,” ICC Presiding Judge Adrian Fulford said. Thomas Lubanga “was essential to a common plan to conscript and enlist girls and boys below the age of 15,” Fulford said. Lubanga, 51, was detained six years ago and faced three counts of war crimes. He could face up to life imprisonment, although a sentence will not be passed immediately. An appeal can be filed within 30 days. Lubanga, who was wearing a white traditional African robe and cap, sat quietly in the courtroom while the ruling was read out. He had denied all the charges. Hailed by rights groups Rights groups hailed the ICC’s conviction of Lubanga for abducting children and forcing them to fight a bloody war. The verdict sends “a very strong message against those who commit these crimes, it’s a sign that impunity does not exist any longer,” Human Rights Watch’s international justice officer Geraldine Mattioli told AFP. Amnesty International’s Michael Bochenek said Lubanga’s conviction, the court’s first, “shows the ICC can bring the world’s worst offenders to justice for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”. And Sunil Pal of the non-government groups’ Coalition for the International Criminal Court, said the ruling “shows that these type of crimes will not be tolerated anymore. It is a very important decision for the victims.” The groups however rapped chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo for not charging Lubanga with crimes of sexual violence, saying this would deny justice and potential reparations to many victims. Bochenek said Amnesty “remains disappointed that the ICC’s prosecutor did not pursue allegations of other crimes committed... under Lubanga. “The prosecutor’s office must review its limited investigation strategy adopted in the Lubanga case... lessons need to be learned for future cases.” Rights groups hailed the ICC’s conviction of Lubanga for abducting children and forcing them to fight a bloody war. The verdict sends “a very strong message against those who commit these crimes, it’s a sign that impunity does not exist any longer,” Human Rights Watch’s international justice officer Geraldine Mattioli told AFP. Amnesty International’s Michael Bochenek said Lubanga’s conviction, the court’s first, “shows the ICC can bring the world’s worst offenders to justice for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”. And Sunil Pal of the non-government groups’ Coalition for the International Criminal Court, said the ruling “shows that these type of crimes will not be tolerated anymore. It is a very important decision for the victims.” The groups however rapped chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo for not charging Lubanga with crimes of sexual violence, saying this would deny justice and potential reparations to many victims. Bochenek said Amnesty “remains disappointed that the ICC’s prosecutor did not pursue allegations of other crimes committed... under Lubanga. “The prosecutor’s office must review its limited investigation strategy adopted in the Lubanga case... lessons need to be learned for future cases.”