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Former DRC militia leader found guilty of war crimes by ICC
Thomas Lubanga Dyilo. PHOTO/File
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has found former Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga Dyilo guilty of forcibly recruiting and using child soldiers under the age of 15, during the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The judgement was the tribunal’s first since it was launched almost a decade ago.
According to the verdict, Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, 51, “enlisted children (boys and girls) younger than 15 to serve as their personal bodyguards and to participate in the hostilities” in the northern Ituri region of the DRC during 2001-03 to fight for his militia.
“Mr Lubanga used children as soldiers”, the tribunal said.
“The prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mr. Thomas Lubanga is guilty of the crimes of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 years and using them to participate actively in hostilities,” said Presiding Judge Adrian Fulford.
Lubanga, wearing an ivory-coloured robe and skull cap, sat with his hands clasped in front of him listening to the verdict and showed no emotion as Fulford declared him guilty.
Actress and activist Angelina Jolie watched the hearing from the public gallery and said the verdict was a victory for the former child soldiers.
“This is their day, where these children will feel there is no impunity for what happened to them, for what they suffered,” Jolie said.
