Child Soldier Relief

On Tuesday, the trial resumed with the testimony of Christine Peduto, a former United Nations Mission to the Congo (MONUC) employee who ran the child protection office in Bunia. Peduto told the Court she worked with child soldiers who had been demobilized.

“I would ask them numerous questions, as much as the children were willing to answer,” Peduto explained. “It was important to identify the date they were recruited, who provided the child with training, which battles they participated in and the last commander under whose orders the child had served.” She further stated that of the 220 former child soldiers the Bunia office processed, 167 had been associated with the UPC.

Endre Vestvik, CRN/Hope In Action – A former child soldier in DR Congo.

Peduto continued her testimony on Wednesday and explained that in determining a child’s age she would evaluate their behavior as older children generally didn’t cry when she would interview them, but younger children would.  She told the Court of her meeting with two young boys,  “They were so very afraid and frightened,” she said. “I remember holding the hand of the younger child to cross the street with him. He was so small…they [had been] with the UPC [Union of Congolese Patriots].”

On Friday, Christine Peduto told the Court that on May 30, 2003 she met with Lubanga at his home in the town of Bunia. “Contrary to the reaction of other armed groups I had previously met with, there was no indication [on Lubanga's part] of any willingness to cooperate,” Peduto said. “There was no sign of open-mindedness or any willingness to actually discuss the matter.”

Peduto further testified that of the former girl child soldiers she had interviwed, only a few of them had not been raped by commanders.  Many of the girls, Peduto stated, thought that this was a marriage until they were raped by other commanders. “It dawned on them that it wasn’t a legitimate relationship with the first officer,” she said. “The [psychological and physical] state of the young girls was quite terrible, quite catastrophic.”

The trial will resume on Monday.

This post was created by Kate Davey through sourcing from the reporting of Rachel Irwin for lubangatrial.org

The trial resumed on Monday with the continued testimony of the witness from Friday, who further explained to the Court that girl child soldiers were raped and impregnated by UPC commanders.

“[The commanders] took girls and would get them pregnant, and then these girls had to leave the camp and go [back] to the village,” the witness said.

On June 24th, Lubanga’s lead attorney, Catherine Mabille, told the Court that Witness 15, who gave Prosecutors a false statement, had given another statement to the Court and could be questioned on Tuesday.  

On Thursday, Court was in a closed session as a protected witness testified.

On Friday, a witness who had worked in a demobilization center for child soldiers told the Court that it was difficult for former child soldiers to be accepted by society and their families after they escape or leave the UPC. 

The witness stated, “You must understand that such children killed, plundered…and raped girls…and old women. That is why many communities did not want to receive the children back.” 

He further explained to the Court that a child would typically stay at the demobilization center for 90 days and during that time counselors from the center would work with the child’s family on taking the child back.  In addition, the center would offer pyschological services for the former child soldiers as well.

Court resumes on June 30.

This post was created by Kate Davey through sourcing from the reporting of Rachel Irwin for lubangatrial.org