The European Union (EU) on Wednesday welcomed the start of the first trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Monday.
"This first ICC trial constitutes a very important phase in the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes, and in the pursuit of justice for their victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)," said a statement from the Czech Republic, which holds the EU rotating presidency.
The trial will also be the first international court case in which the use of child soldiers is prosecuted as a war crime, said the statement.
The EU is determined to work toward the prevention of crimes of international concern and the ending of impunity for the perpetrators of such crimes. The EU encourages the DRC authorities to continue their good cooperation with the ICC, and invites the ICC to continue its efforts to ensure that the local population in the DRC is properly informed about its work, said the statement.
The case of DRC militia leader Thomas Lubanga became the first ever trial of the ICC, the first permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Lubanga, 48, is accused of recruiting children under the age of 15 as soldiers for fighting in a brutal tribal conflict in the northeast of the DRC between 2002 and 2003. Lubanga pleaded not guilty on Monday.