Thomas Lubanga has been sentenced to 14 years in jail for recruiting and using child soldiers in his rebel army in 2002 and 2003.

Taking into account time spent in custody, this will mean the warlord from Congo will now serve a further eight years.

Lubanga would go to people’s homes and ask them to donate something for the war effort, the court heard. He would ask for cash, a cow, or for a child to fight for his rebel army. The court was shown video footage of Lubanga at a training camp, where children as young as 10 were being prepared for battle.

Another video showed young children working as bodyguards.

Lubanga became the first person to be convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it was set up 10 years ago.

The conflict between ethnic groups in Ituri, north-eastern DR Congo, is estimated to have killed 60,000 people.

The Lubanga case is closely related to the current fighting in DR Congo, where forces loyal to Gen Bosco Ntaganda are threatening the main eastern city of Goma.Gen Ntaganda has been accused of the same crimes as Lubanga and his M23 group resumed its rebellion shortly after Lubanga was convicted.

Lubanga was arrested in March 2005 by UN peacekeepers, along with other militiamen.

Although, he showed no emotion as he was sentenced, Lubanga cried when he was transferred to The Hague in March 2006.