Democratic Republic of the Congo / International Criminal Court says Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo will remain in its custody

 

KINSHASA, Dem. Rep. of Congo (DRC) November 19, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Daily press briefing by the office of the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general

 

 

You just had an extensive briefing by Mr. Doss concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court says Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo will remain in its custody until the start of his trial in January 2009.  The Court earlier today lifted the stay of proceedings in the case against Lubanga after a status conference in The Hague.  The suspension was imposed in June when judges found Lubanga would not receive a fair trial because the Prosecutor had failed to share with the defense confidential information from the United Nations and other agencies that he has used in his case against Lubanga.  The Court now says that the reasons for imposing a halt “have fallen away”.  And there is more on the Court’s website.

 

Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN Mission (MONUC) says that some 25,000 internally displaced persons have gathered around its base in Bambu, about 80 kilometres north of Goma.  According to the Mission, the displaced civilians are without assistance, as there are currently no humanitarian workers in or around Bambu.  In the provincial capital Goma, the World Food Programme says it is stepping up food distribution to some 100,000 displaced people.  The agency also intends to cross into rebel territory to assist some 100,000 civilians.  UNICEF, meanwhile, says that some 150,000 school children have stopped going to school as a result of the insecurity

 

SOURCE : United Nations – Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General