Thomas Lubanga: Congolese Warlord Jailed For 14 Years

Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga has been sentenced to 14 years in jail for recruiting and using child soldiers in his rebel army in 2002 and 2003.

Taking into account time in custody, he will now serve a further eight years.

In March, he became the first person to be convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it was set up 10 years ago.

The conflict between ethnic groups in Ituri, north-eastern DR Congo, is estimated to have killed 60,000 people.

Fighters loyal to Gen Ntaganda - known as "The Terminator" - then defected from the army and started attacking military and civilian targets in the east of the country.

His rebel group, known as M23, is now threatening the region's main city, Goma, home to some 400,000 people.

A UN report has accused Gen Ntaganda's long-time ally Rwanda of aiding his fighters - charges denied in Kigali.

But Congo watchers say the real reason for the fighting is that Gen Ntaganda - and his backers - fear seeing him on trial in The Hague like his former comrade.

Lubanga led the Union of Congolese Patriots, an ethnic Hema militia which was active in the war that started in the Ituri region in 1999.

This was a local conflict within the wider DR Congo war, which left an estimated five million people dead - mostly from hunger and disease.

During the trial, the court heard how Lubanga would go to people's homes and ask them to donate something for the war effort. He would ask for cash, a cow, or for a child to fight for his rebel army.

The court also saw video footage of Lubanga at a training camp, galvanising children as young as 10.

Another video showed young children working as bodyguards.

Lubanga was arrested in March 2005 by UN peacekeepers, along with other militiamen.

He showed no emotion as he was sentenced.