Children forced to carry out massacre

TWO Congolese militia leaders sent child soldiers and other fighters to wipe out a village in a revenge attack that left more than 200 men, women and children dead, a prosecutor told judges yesterday at the International Criminal Court.

“Some were shot in their sleep, some cut up with machetes to preserve bullets. Others were burned alive after their houses were set on fire,” Luis Moreno Ocampo said in his opening statement.

The two alleged commanders, Germain Katanga, 31, and Mathieu Ngudjolo, 39, both pleaded not guilty to three crimes against humanity and seven war crimes, including murder, rape, sexual enslavement and pillage.