Person in News: Thomas Lubanga

July 11, 2012

Thomas Lubanga gets 14-year imprisonment

The International Criminal Court awarded a Congolese warlord 14-year imprisonment.

Who is Thomas Lubanga ?

Thomas Lubanga Dyilo (born 29 December 1960) is a convicted war criminal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
He is the first person ever convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He founded and led the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) and was a key player in the Ituri conflict (1999–2007).

Why was Thomas Lubanga awarded punishment by the International Criminal Court ?

Thomas Lubanga was found guilty of recruiting and using children under the age of fifteen years in his Union of Congolese Patriots militia sending them to kill and be killed during fighting in Congo’s eastern Ituri region in 2002-2003.
This trial is seen as a potential milestone in the struggle to protect children during wartime.