ICC wants long sentence for Lubange

The International Criminal Court is seeking a prison term close to the maximum 30 years for Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga, the chief prosecutor said. This week, the ICC, in its first verdict, found Lubanga guilty of the crime of conscripting child soldiers and using children as personal bodyguards during fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Luis Moreno-Ocampa, chief prosecutor at the ICC, said sentencing was expected by April 18. "If we are going to ask for one year per child, we would go far beyond the maximum of 30 years established by the statute," he said in a statement. "As we indicated in our opening statement, we will seek a sentence close to the maximum." Navi Pillay, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said the verdict was "a great step forward" for the international justice system, adding it sent a "strong signal against impunity." Moreno-Ocampa said he was planning a trip to DRC to thank the government for supporting the ICC and also ask for the arrest of Congolese military leader Bosco Ntaganda, who was the third in command of Lubanga's militia. "After reviewing the evidence, we found that evidence is enough to present charges for murder and rapes against Bosco Ntaganda," he said. The ICC said Ntaganda is a general in the DRC military.