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 THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - A Congolese warlord accused of sending child soldiers to fight in a vicious tribal conflict was ordered Monday to stand trial, becoming the first suspect ever to face judgment before the International Criminal Court.
A three-judge chamber found evidence was strong enough to "establish substantial grounds to believe" that Thomas Lubanga was responsible "for war crimes consisting of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15," said presiding judge Claude Jorda of France.
Monday's decision was a landmark for the Hague-based court, the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal, set up in 2002 to prosecute suspects responsible for atrocities around the world. So far, it has only Lubanga in custody in a special unit inside a Dutch jail.
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