Crimes Against Humanity

March 2012
Author
Benjamin B. Ferencz
Source
The New York Times (Letters)

Re “Congolese Rebel Convicted of Using Child Soldiers” (news article, March 15):

The conviction by the International Criminal Court of the warlord Thomas Lubanga for recruiting and training children for combat in Congo marks a milestone in the evolution of international criminal law.

Fugitive renegades like Joseph Kony, accused of shocking atrocities in several African countries, must recognize that they cannot evade justice indefinitely. Those responsible for the illegal use of armed force that kills masses of civilians must be held legally accountable for crimes against humanity.

BENJAMIN B. FERENCZ
Delray Beach, Fla., March 15, 2012
The writer was a prosecutor at the Nuremberg war crimes trials.