Today, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced he would seek new charges against Bosco Ntaganda of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

Ntaganda was already charged by the ICC in 2006 for the use of child soldiers in battle. Prosecutor Ocampo is now seeking to add charges of crimes against humanity for murder, ethnic persecution, rape and sexual slavery, as well as war crimes charges for "intentional attacks" against civilians leading to murder, rape, sexual slavery and pillaging.  These alleged crimes were committed in the DRC between 2002-2003.

Last week I attended a lecture on child soldiers in Africa at Georgetown University. The speaker was Ms. Veronica Eragu Bichetero, a lawyer for the Courts of Judicature of Uganda. Bichetero is also a Senior Fellow with the United States Institute of Peace and studies the role of women in peacekeeping in Africa, specifically the Great Lakes region. She spoke about the factors that led to the use of children in armed conflict and how things have changed. Men used to fight the wars, while women played a role as peacemakers. Civilians were not involved in the conflicts. The conditions changed after independence. Presidents started writing their own constitutions and staying in power longer and longer. Clashes between tribal groups and the lack of a proper definition of a "child" have also contributed to the unrest. While international norm states that a child cannot be a soldier until age 18, many of these cultures have differing views of adulthood.

Today, the Brookings Institution held a panel discussion on what role women play in conflict and disaster situations. Nearly three months ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was quoted saying "when we think about peacemaking, which is, after all, one of the critical tasks of any of us in international security, [...] there are not enough women at the table, not enough women's voices being heard." The struggle to include women in peace negotiations still stands.

The panel unanimously agreed that women play a huge role in conflict situations; whether it involves the importance of including more women in peace negotiations or the severity of gender based violence during conflict and how it affects women and communities. The best way to combat these offenses is to include women in all forms of conflict resolution.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir addressed a party rally in Khartoum last week, vowing to never compromise with the “poisonous insects” of South Sudan, using frightening rhetoric reminiscent of the Rwanda genocide. 

Although neither Sudan, nor South Sudan, have declared war on the other, Sudan littered its neighbor with eight bombs following these hateful words.  This violence has all been attributed to the disputed borders between the long-rivaling neighbors and unresolved issues over nearby oil reserves.  Since April 10, when South Sudan took control of the oil-rich town of Heglig, the two nations have been, as many describe, on the brink of war.

Prompted by the recent violence that erupted, the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing yesterday to examine the current conflict and discuss possible policy options the United States and other nations should explore in order to avoid an all-out war in the region.