As the International Criminal Court (ICC) prepares to resume the trial of accused Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga in early May, witness protection has emerged as a key concern. This was immediately apparent when the prosecution’s first witness recanted his story and told the court that he had been coached on what to say by…
The defense lawyer for Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga told the court on Wednesday that she needs better access to her client. Catherine Mabille said defense team members are spending most of their lunch in discussions with Lubanga, and have less than an hour and a half in the evening with the accused, nearly all…
Thomas Lubanga, the accused leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), was portrayed in video clips on Friday as seeking peace between ethnic groups in the Ituri region. “We must work together,” Lubanga stated in one video. “We must not tolerate that people continue to massacre other people on our territory of Ituri.” Although…
The case against accused Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga appears to be strong so far, say legal observers, despite attempts by the defense to undermine key testimonies. Because the testimony has been provided by traumatized former child soldiers and some of the recorded statements were given three years ago, the inconsistencies can be explained, experts…
Defense attorneys for Thomas Lubanga on Thursday questioned historian Gerard Prunier about the history of the Hema-Lendu conflict and its possible bearing on the actions of Lubanga and his Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC). Prunier, who holds a Ph.D. in African Studies from the University of Paris, published From Genocide to Continental War: The Congolese…
The prosecution continued to build its case against accused Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga this week by presenting witnesses who delivered dramatic and revealing insight into militia life. The prosecution’s eighth witness, whose identity was concealed, described how he became a soldier at the age of 10, after hearing gunshots and seeing people running on…
During several brief open court sessions on Friday, the defense for Thomas Lubanga attempted to discredit a witness who provided details of his time as a child soldier and guard in Lubanga’s militia. The witness confirmed earlier testimony that he was a guard at Lubanga’s residence, saying he replaced a guard who accompanied another commander…
Defense lawyers in the trial of accused militia leader Thomas Lubanga on Tuesday questioned conflicting testimonies by a witness who said he was abducted and turned into a child soldier. The witness, who was not identified, told the International Criminal Court the discrepancies were because he was afraid to tell the truth to investigators when…
Two weeks after recanting his testimony, a former child soldier took the stand again this week and told prosecutors that he was forced to train and fight in defendant Thomas Lubanga’s militia. “We would jump over bodies,” he said of one battle. “We had killed a lot of people.” The witness said he was in…
Lawyers for Thomas Lubanga continued to cross-examine the father of a former child soldier on Friday, grilling him repeatedly on how he learned his 11-year-old son had been kidnapped and sent to a training camp for Lubanga’s militia. “How many times do you want me to answer this question?” complained the unnamed witness, who appeared…
Thomas Lubanga on trial at the International Criminal Court. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is the first person to be tried by the International Criminal Court. A former rebel leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lubanga is accused of conscripting, enlisting, and using child soldiers. More
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