Congo war crimes witness recants

A FORMER Congolese child soldier recanted his testimony against an accused warlord yesterday, throwing a landmark war crimes trial into confusion in its opening stages.

The International Criminal Court adjourned for consultations after the witness said an account he gave hours earlier was untrue.

The witness, whose name and age were not released, was the first witness in the case of Thomas Lubanga, who is charged with recruiting youngsters under age 15 and sending them into battle in the Ituri region of eastern Congo in 2002-2003. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 30 years imprisonment.