IJCentral: International Justice Central

News report on Thomas Lubanga trial.

In this hearing the witnesses (former child soldiers) have been “pixelated” to protect their identity.  But what is being done about the fact that Lubanga can see the witness?  Are the family members of the witnesses protected? 

Opening Statements from the first day of the first ICC trial, charging Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, with conscripting child soldiers, a war crime under the Rome Statute that governs the ICC.

In this video recorded at a TED Talk, Samantha Power gives us a compelling description of Sergio Vieira de Mello, who struggled mightily during his UN career, often making deals with perpetrators of genocide, to try to bring an end to genocide and war crimes.

Laurent Nkunda was captured by Rwandan forces, removing from action one of central Africa’s most notorious warlords - this video also mentions how this may allow Congolese forces to focus more now on capturing Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, who is rampaging through northeastern Congo.

UN Security Council resolution 1593 referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC in 2005.  The Prosecutor briefs the UNSC every six months, and since 2007 he has been pressing for enforcement of the arrest warrants he issued for Sudanese Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Ahmad Haroun, and “Janjaweed” militia leader Ali Kushayb.  In July 2008 the Prosecutor requested that an arrest warrant be issued for President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir, charging him with genocide in Darfur.