by Ese Omofoma
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The first-ever trial of the International Criminal Court (ICC) began on Monday. Thomas Lubanga, a former Congolese militia commander, is accused of war crimes by recruiting hundreds of child soldiers to kill and rape. The court is based at The Hague, Netherlands, and is an independent international organization.
"This first ICC trial constitutes a very important phase in the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes, and in the pursuit of justice for their victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)," said a statement from the Czech Republic, which holds the EU rotating presidency. The EU is determined to ending impunity of perpetrators of war crimes and is working toward the prevention of crimes of international concern. The EU encourages the DRC authorities to continue their good cooperation with the ICC, and invites the ICC to continue its efforts to ensure that the local population in the DRC is properly informed about its work, added the statement.
Unlike a U.N. tribunal, the ICC can hear ongoing conflicts. The defendants are not ordinary criminals; their crimes include allegations of genocide, mass rape, recruiting and using child soldiers. Such crimes are considered violations of the Geneva Convention on Human Rights.
The trial is expected to last between six and nine months. Lubanga, 48, is being held at the United Nations detention center in the seaside town of Scheveningen near The Hague.His armed group is accused of numerous massacres of ethnic Lendu civilians in 2002 and 2003, mainly in his stronghold Bunia, the capital of Ituri.
For more information, please see:
China View -EU welcomes start of first ICC trial - 29 January 2009
ABC News - African Countries Appeal to ICC - 28 January 2009
ABS-CBN News - ICC's first war crimes trial gets under way - 26 January 2009




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