Congo trial starts road to justice

Amid the tall grass where boys are playing football, the remains of destroyed brick houses still stand.

These are the relics of a local five-year civil war in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that saw some 60,000 people lose their lives.

It was us that chose to fight along side him. We did so willingly, we were scared of him so we joined him Bahati

We are in the outskirts of Bunia, in Ituri district, and the hunting ground of former warlord Thomas Lubanga, the first person to stand trial at the International Criminal Court in the Hague (ICC).

The boys playing football were all child combatants, operating under Mr Lubanga's command.

As head of the UPC - a militia made up of the Hema ethnic group - his ragtag army fought ethnic battles over gold and mining rights with the "rival" Lendu community.

It was one of the bloodiest conflicts DR Congo has ever seen and more than 30,000 child soldiers were fighters during the war, taken on by all sides.

Bahati, one of the boys kicking the ball, was just 11 when he was recruited by the rebels. He was given an Uzi machine gun and taught to fight.

He rose through the ranks to become Mr Lubanga's personal bodyguard. And he earned more then than he does now.

It has kept him loyal.