Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

Africa

‘Terminator’ warlord terrorised DR Congo, court told

– Most wanted fugitive –

Ntaganda was one of the most-wanted fugitives in Africa’s Great Lakes region until he unexpectedly surrendered in March 2013 and asked to be sent to The Hague.

He was the founder of the M23 rebel group defeated by the Congolese government in late 2013 after an 18-month insurgency in the vast Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu region.

Observers say Ntaganda most likely feared for his life as a fugitive from a rival faction within M23, but his motives for surrendering to the ICC remain unclear.

Also nicknamed “The Terminator” and known for his pencil moustaches, cowboy hats and love of fine dining, Ntaganda faces 13 counts of war crimes and five of crimes against humanity.

The court had issued two arrest warrants against Ntaganda – the first in 2006 and the second with additional charges in 2012.

His former FPLC commander Thomas Lubanga was sentenced to 14 years in jail in 2012 on charges of using child soldiers, one of only two convictions handed down by the court since it was set up 12 years ago.

Born in 1973, Ntaganda is among a dozen Africans in the custody of the ICC, a court criticised for apparently only targeting leaders from the continent. His trial is set to be complex and last several months.

About The Author

Pages: 1 2 3

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News