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Witness: Land Grab Sparked Conflict

An attempt by a rich family in Bunia to drive ethnic Lendu from their land sparked the Ituri region’s bloody ethnic conflict, according to testimony on Wednesday.

Continuing his testimony from the previous day, a former political leader in Ituri told the Lubanga trial that the Savo family, ethnic Hema who were financial backers of Lubanga’s militia, used Ugandan soldiers to torch houses belonging to the Lendu.

Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga, who faces charges at the International Criminal Court for conscripting and using child soldiers, belongs to the Hema ethnic group in the Ituri district of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The witness, who recalled seeing a village near Libi on fire as early as 1999, said the Savo family contacted Ugandan forces in the region at the time. “The (Ugandan) commander present gave his authorization and asked his soldiers to remove (Lendu) forcefully,” he said.

“It’s the Savo family at the origin of the conflict with the support of Ugandans who started burning Lendu houses,” he said. “The Lendu fled to the bush, but after six months they came back.”

When the Lendu returned, they were armed and this was when the ethnic conflict escalated.

Responding to the Lendu attacks, the Hemas then formed armed militias such as Lubanga’s Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), the witness said.

Under questioning by Jean Chrysostome Mulamba, a legal representative for victims at the trial, the witness said the UPC collected taxes on goods entering the region, collected dues in markets, and got contributions from traders. Uganda also gave financial aid to Lubanga’s group, he said.

Lubanga’s defense team, led by Jean-Marie Biju-Duval, began cross-examination on Wednesday, but most of it was in closed session.

One Comment

  1. I would like to discuss about this Thomas Lubanga and ituri issue as these :

    1)- ICC, if real an international court, should never show any interest of corruption…
    We need serious judgement…serious evidence and serious investigations without any feelings.

    2)- The Ituri attrocities were real.
    As the words say it, many things were disorganised and destroyed by both groups ( Hema + alliances and Lendu + Alliances )…

    3)- The big point here is the Dirty hand behind the two groups…
    Remember for a very small reason or gain,
    both Our Government (DRC), neighbourhood Government ( UGANDA, RWANDA) and UN Troops made themselves ridiculous in supporting the two groups.

    4)- Those men in Prison ( Thomas Lubanga, Ngujolo and others from Ituri in Kinshasa prison ) are all Innocents…
    They are suffring from a simple manipulation…
    They were used and they are used up today…
    Even ICC has found they are small Insect to step on…
    REAL CRIMINAL ARE ALL OUT
    We All know them, You know them,too though you pretend not to see them…but we know WHY YOU DO THAT…

    5)- I suggest :

    * ICC to send their team on the field for a public court and real witnessing…

    * ICC to question the source of that war…
    from the villagers, Government members and UN Troops…

    * ICC to realese all those poor villagers and concentrate on the people who manipulated them including Kabila’s Government, Museveni’s, Kagame’s, UN Troop…
    Fight the source. Understand the reason.
    Those humble men need to take care of their famillies…

    I have more to tell…
    TO BE CONTINUED…

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