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Video for Change: Bringing Warlord Thomas Lubanga To Justice
By: Priscila Néri
Posted: Jan 23 09
Witnessed: 2791 times
Regions: Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Issues: Child soldiers, Crimes against humanity, War crimes
Tags: Duty to Protect, icc, international criminal court, International Law, kivu, Lubanga, On the Frontlines, war
The trial of Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to start on January 26, 2009.
In addition to being the first trial in the ICC's history, it is also the first time that video has played an integral role helping bring charges against a warlord. Lubanga is accused of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of fifteen to fight in his army during the Congolese civil war.
The widespread recruitment and use of child soldiers in the DRC is without parallel in Africa. Tens of thousands of child soldiers have been recruited as combatants by all parties to the conflict, which has been described as Africa's world war. Children make up the majority of combatants in the conflict, which has claimed over five million lives.
In this video, Bukeni Waruzi - WITNESS' Program Coordinator for Africa & Middle East and a native of the DRC - talks about his work on this issue since he was a still student living in the South Kivu Province, Eastern DRC, until today, as he gets ready to travel to The Hague to attend the opening of the Lubanga Trial at the ICC.
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