The International Criminal Court has sentenced Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga to 14 years in prison for using child soldiers.

The court in the Hague announced the penalty Tuesday, saying he is an educated individual who would have understood the “seriousness of the crimes.”

Lubanga was found guilty of war crimes in March for recruiting and using child soldiers during fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002 and 2003.

Lubanga is the first person convicted by the ICC. The court said he will be given credit for the time he has spent in the ICC's custody since 2006.