Today, the International Criminal Court's (ICC) first trial was completed with the sentencing of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo to fourteen years in prison.  Lubanga, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was found guilty by the Court in March of conscripting child soldiers for use in battle.

This first sentencing is certainly a landmark moment for the ICC.  It's good to see the Court complete a trial and ensure that a vicious warlord will be put away, though it's a bit disheartening to see the length of the sentence is shorter than what the ICC Prosecutor had recommended.  The prosecution had asked for Lubanga to serve 30 years for his crimes.  His sentence is further reduced because the six years he's been in custody will count toward his incarceration, so he will only serve an additional eight years (with the possibility of getting out even sooner due to good behavior).

With all that said, I'm still happy to see some measure of justice done in today's sentencing of Lubanga.  I'm proud to see the ICC reach this milestone moment, and I hope this sentence brings some measure of peace to Lubanga's victims and their families.  I look forward to a future in which the Court succeeds in putting many other war criminals behind bars where they belong.

Today, Fatou Bensouda was sworn in as the new Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), replacing the Court's first Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo.  Bensouda is the first woman and African to hold this position.

Bensouda, who is from Gambia, previously served as ICC Deputy Prosecutor, working closely with Ocampo, so it seems the first Prosecutor-to-Prosecutor transfer of power in the Court's history should go smoothly.  Her experience is impressive, and additionally, the fact that she is an African woman will likely help to blunt the perception on the part of some critics that the ICC is targeting Africa unfairly in its investigations.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to hear Prosecutor Bensouda speak at an event at the Assembly of States Parties meeting last December.  She made compelling reference to the need for the Court to focus its attention on gender-based violence and bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice.  I was impressed by Bensouda, and I look forward to seeing what her next steps as Prosecutor will be as the Court nears its milestone 10^th anniversary in July.

Congratulations, Prosecutor Bensouda! And thank you to former Prosecutor Ocampo for all of your efforts to establish the Court's role in bringing about international justice.

If you're like me, there's nothing quite as much fun as making a list.  And listing "winners and losers" on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis is something of a D.C. tradition.  So I'm going to start a regular blog series on "Heroes and Zeros" around the globe-commending those leaders, governments, or ordinary people who did something great that positively impacts the global issues that Globalsolutions.org cares about, and calling out those whose actions have hurt the cause of creating a better world.

Here's the first edition-and feel free to let me know what you think and provide feedback!

Hero of the Week: The Nation of Malawi

As someone who follows the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) closely, I feel that all too often I'm writing about how some new nation has flouted ICC arrest warrants by inviting a convicted war criminal for a visit.  But happily, this week indicates the tide may be starting to turn on this loathsome practice, as illustrated by Malawi's refusal to host Sudanese president--and ICC indictee--Omar al-Bashir.  Malawi was scheduled to hold an African Union summit, but got into a dispute with the AU because it refused to allow Bashir to attend.  Despite protests from the AU, Malawi held firm to its no-Bashir stance, and the summit was moved to another country.

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.

Lubanga also asked for an arrest warrant against the DRC's Sylvestre Mudacumura, who he said has "launched a campaign of attacks against the civilian populations in the Kivus."  He is charged with charged with five counts of crimes against humanity: murder, inhumane acts, rape, torture and persecution, and nine counts of war crimes: attack against a civilian population, murder or willful killing, mutilation, cruel treatment, rape, torture, destruction of property, pillaging and outrage upon personal dignity.

Speaking about Ntaganda, who is known as "The Terminator" and currently on the run, Lubanga states that,