Jump to content

Bosco Ntaganda

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bosco Ntaganda
Born(1973-11-05)5 November 1973(age 50)
Kiningi, Rwanda
NationalityCongolese[1]
Other namesThe Terminator[2]
Jean Bosco Ntaganda[3]
Criminal chargesWar crimes (13 counts) Crimes against humanity (5 counts)
Criminal penaltyFound guilty of all charges on 8 July 2019, sentenced to 30 years in prison on 7 November 2019. Ordered to pay $30 million to victims on 8 March 2021, lost appeal on 30 March 2021.
Criminal statusSurrendered to the U.S Embassy on 18 March 2013. Transferred to ICC custody on 22 March 2013, currently incarcerated.

Bosco Ntaganda(born 5 November 1973)[4]is a convictedwar criminaland the former militarychief of staffof theNational Congress for the Defense of the People(CNDP), an armedmilitiagroup operating in theNorth Kivuprovince of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo(DRC).[5][6]He is a former member of theRwandan Patriotic Armyand allegedly a former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of thePatriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo(FPLC), the military wing of theUnion of Congolese Patriots.[5]

Until March 2013, he was wanted by theInternational Criminal Court(ICC) for thewar crimesof enlisting and conscripting children under the age of fifteen and using them to participate actively in hostilities.[7]Prior to his surrender, Ntaganda had been allegedly involved in the rebel groupMarch 23 Movement,a military group based in eastern areas of the DRC. On 18 March 2013, Ntaganda voluntarily handed himself in to the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda, asking to be transferred to the ICC. On 22 March, he was taken into custody by the ICC. On 8 July 2019, the ICC convicted him ofwar crimes.[8][9][10]He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years for crimes against humanity.[11]

Early life[edit]

Ntaganda was born in the small town ofKinigi,situated in the foothills of Rwanda'sVirunga mountain rangein theMusanze District.[2]When he was a teenager, Ntaganda fled to Ngungu-Masisi in eastern DRC after attacks on his fellow ethnicTutsisstarted taking place inRwanda.[citation needed]He attended secondary school there but did not graduate; at the age of 17 he joinedRwandan Patriotic Frontrebels in southernUganda.[2]At some point he acquiredCongolese citizenship.[12]

Rwandan and Congolese military career[edit]

Ntaganda fought with theRwandan Patriotic Armyin the early 1990s and participated in the overthrow of theHutu-led Rwandan government in 1994 following theRwandan genocide.[5]He subsequently joined thePatriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo(FPLC), the military wing of theUnion of Congolese Patriots(UPC), and became its chief of military operations.[citation needed]During this time, he is alleged to have been involved in numerous massacres and other serious human rights abuses.[5]When Ntaganda was in charge of the UPC, he told child soldiers; "When you're a soldier, you get a woman for free. Everything is free."[13]

In January 2005, Ntaganda was offered a position as ageneralin theArmed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congoas part of a peace process, but he refused the offer.[5]On 1 November 2005, aUnited Nations Security Councilcommittee imposed a travel ban andasset freezeon him for violating anarms embargo.[14]

In 2006, following conflicts within the UPC, he returned toNorth Kivu,his home province, and joinedLaurent Nkunda'sNational Congress for the Defense of the People(CNDP).[5][15]As of April 2008, he was believed to be living in theMasisidistrict of North Kivu, serving as the CNDP's chief of staff.[16]The CNDP has since been incorporated into theregular Congolese armed forcesand Ntaganda was acting as aGeneralin the army, despite being wanted by the ICC.[17]

In 2012, he was living openly in the city ofGomain the DRC,[18]on Avenue des Tulipiés, about 100 yards from the Rwandan border.[19]

According to DRC authorities, General Bosco Ntaganda had "crossed from Goma to the town ofGisenyi,Rwanda, twice in 2011, in March and again in September, despite the travel ban imposed on him. Congolese authorities reported that on both occasions Ntaganda had gone there to attend a burial, having sought official authorization to do so from his military hierarchy and from immigration authorities. Rwandan officials said that they have no objections to Ntaganda crossing the border. They claim that his status as a sanctioned individual "is not a Rwandan problem, but a Democratic Republic of the Congo problem", adding that "Bosco contributes to peace and security to the region, which converges with Rwanda's aims".[20][better source needed]

AUnited Nationsgroup of experts reported in late 2011 that Ntaganda controlled the Mungwe and Fungamwaka mines, nearNumbi,through the Great Lakes Mining Company, managed by Edson Musabarura. Ntaganda also derived profits from mineral exploitation atNyabibwe,through his alliance with Colonel Saddam Ringo. AtRubaya,Ntaganda gained large revenues from taxation levied by "parallel" mine police. Ntaganda ordered his troops to intervene on behalf of Krall Metal Congo atLueshe.[21]

On 4 April 2012, it was reported that Ntaganda and 300 loyal troops defected from the DRC and clashed with government forces in theRutshururegion north ofGoma.[22]On 11 April 2012, presidentJoseph Kabilacalled for Ntaganda's arrest.[23]On 16 March 2013,Sultani Makenga's forces "seized control... of the town ofKibumba... Ntaganda and an estimated 200 fighters fled into the forest while hundreds of others crossed the border into Rwanda, "including" about 300 uniformedM23 rebelsloyal to Ntaganda. "[24]

Indictment by the International Criminal Court[edit]

On 22 August 2006, a Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Ntaganda bore individual criminal responsibility forwar crimescommitted by the FPLC between July 2002 and December 2003, and issued a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with thewar crimesof enlisting and conscripting children under the age of fifteen and using them to participate actively in hostilities.[citation needed]The arrest warrant was originally issued under seal because the court decided that "public knowledge of the proceedings in this case might result in Bosco Ntaganda hiding, fleeing, and/or obstructing or endangering the investigations or the proceedings of the Court". In April 2008, the court ruled that circumstances had changed and unsealed the warrant.[16]

On 18 March 2013, Ntaganda handed himself in to the U.S. embassy inKigali,Rwanda,[25]where he requested transfer to theInternational Criminal CourtinThe Hague.[26]Though the reasons for his surrender are unknown it was speculated that he was either pressured to do so by Rwanda or feared infighting within the M23 movement and its military leaderSultani Makenga,which had recently militarily forced a faction aroundJean-Marie Runiga LugereroandBaudouin Ngaruye,which was allegedly connected to Ntaganda, to flee the DRC into Rwanda. Though Rwanda was not a signatory to theRome Statute,the media speculated it would be forced to turn him over to the ICC. The U.S. also had listed him on itsWar Crimes Rewards Program.[27]On 22 March, he was detained by the ICC.[28]He made his first appearance before the ICC on 26 March.[29]At his first appearance before the ICC in the Hague on 26 March 2013, Ntaganda denied his guilt.[12]

Trial[edit]

Ntaganda's trial at the ICC began on 3 September 2015. He pleaded not guilty to eighteen charges brought against him, including rape, murder, recruitment of child soldiers and sexual slavery of civilians. The trial was expected to last many months with the prosecution calling eighty witnesses, thirteen of them expert and the rest victims. Three of the witnesses were former child soldiers in Ntaganda'sPatriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo(FPLC).[30][31][32][33][34]

On 8 July 2019 he was convicted on all 18 counts[9][10][35]and on 7 November 2019 was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the longest sentence ever handed down by the ICC.[36]He is the first person to be convicted of sexual slavery by the ICC.

On 8 March 2021 the ICC ruled that Ntaganda's victims should be compensated with USD $30 million, the highest amount ever awarded. Since Ntaganda does not have the money to pay, the Court will use its own funds to compensate victims. Ntaganda subsequently appealed his conviction.[37]On March 30, 2021, the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected his appeal and confirmed the conviction.[38]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Thomas Escritt,Congo Warlord Denies Guilt in First Appearance at Hague CourtArchived24 September 2015 at theWayback Machine,Reuters(26 Mar 2013 8:03 AM EDT).
  2. ^abcPenny Dale (15 May 2012)."Profile: Bosco Ntaganda the Congolese 'Terminator'".BBC News.
  3. ^Gettleman, Jeffrey (25 January 2009)."With Leader Captured, Congo Rebel Force Is Dissolving".The New York Times.
  4. ^"Bosco Ntaganda".Trial International.Retrieved8 July2019.
  5. ^abcdefHuman Rights Watch(29 April 2008).DR Congo: Suspected War Criminal Wanted.Retrieved on 13 May 2008.
  6. ^Nkunda Faces ICC DilemmaArchived19 May 2019 at theWayback Machine.Institute for War and Peace Reporting,1 May 2008. Retrieved on 9 October 2011.
  7. ^"Congo warlord called the 'Terminator' convicted of murder, rape and recruiting child soldiers".The Independent.8 July 2019.Retrieved11 July2019.
  8. ^"DR Congo's Bosco Ntaganda convicted of war crimes by ICC".BBC News.8 July 2019.Retrieved8 July2019.
  9. ^abIvana Kottasová (8 July 2019)."Former DRC general known as 'the Terminator' convicted of war crimes".CNN.
  10. ^ab"'The Terminator' rebel leader convicted of war crimes in Congo ".NBC News.8 July 2019.
  11. ^"'Terminator' gets 30 years for DR Congo crimes ".7 November 2019.Retrieved7 November2019.
  12. ^ab"Congo warlord denies guilt in first appearance at Hague court".Reuters.26 March 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 24 September 2015.Retrieved30 June2017.
  13. ^Van Reybrouck, David(2011).Congo: een geschiedenis.Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.ISBN978-9023458661.
  14. ^Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo (7 November 2007)."List of individuals and entities subject to the measures imposed by paragraphs 13 and 15 of Security Council Resolution 1596 (2005)"(PDF).Archived(PDF)from the original on 16 August 2014.Retrieved28 June2017.(52.3 KB).Retrieved on 13 May 2008.
  15. ^Bavier, Joe (9 May 2008).Congo rebels demand proof of ICC suspect's guilt.Reuters.Retrieved on 13 May 2008.
  16. ^abWarrant of Arrest against Bosco Ntaganda unsealedpress release International Criminal Court, 29 April 2008. Retrieved on 9 October 2011
  17. ^"Congo conflict: 'The Terminator' lives in luxury while peacekeepers look on".The Guardian.5 February 2010.Retrieved9 October2011.
  18. ^I Can Find an Indicted Warlord. So Why isn't He in The Hague?Mother Jones, September/October 2011. Retrieved on 14 March 2012
  19. ^UCLA Law Students Locate Compound of Congolese Militia Leader Wanted by International Criminal CourtRetrieved on 14 March 2012
  20. ^United Nations Group of Experts, S/2011/738, p.149
  21. ^UN Group of Experts, S/2011/738, p.150
  22. ^Gouby, Melanie (4 April 2012)."Congo-Kinshasa: General Ntaganda and Loyalists Desert Armed Forces".AllAfrica.RNW Media.Retrieved12 July2019.
  23. ^"Congo's 'Terminator': Kabila calls for Ntaganda arrest".BBC News.11 April 2012.
  24. ^"Defeated Congo rebels surrender".Reuters / Gulf Times.16 March 2013.Retrieved29 April2014.
  25. ^"Bosco Ntaganda: Wanted Congolese in US mission in Rwanda".BBC News.18 March 2013.
  26. ^Clover, Jenny; Blair, Edmund; Lough, Richard (20 March 2013). Williams, Alison (ed.)."U.S. working for swift transfer of Congo warlord to ICC".Reuters.Retrieved20 October2019.
  27. ^"The surrender of Bosco Ntaganda".blogs.aljazeera.Retrieved10 September2018.
  28. ^Corder, Mike (22 March 2013)."International court detains Rwandan-born warlord".USA Today.
  29. ^"DR Congo's Ntaganda appears before ICC".aljazeera.Retrieved10 September2018.
  30. ^"Trial of Congo war crimes suspect begins at ICC".JURIST.2 September 2015.
  31. ^"In The Hague, trial opens for Congo warlord Bosco Ntaganda".Deutsche Welle.
  32. ^Holligan, Anna."DR Congo's Bosco Ntaganda pleads not guilty at ICC trial".BBC News.
  33. ^Simons, Marlise(2 September 2015)."War Crimes Trial Opens for Bosco Ntaganda, Congolese Rebel Leader".The New York Times.
  34. ^Soi, Catherine."Congolese warlord Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda on trial".Al Jazeera.
  35. ^"DR Congo's Bosco Ntaganda convicted of war crimes by ICC".BBC News.8 July 2019.
  36. ^"Bosco Ntaganda sentenced to 30 years for crimes in DR Congo".BBC News. 7 November 2019.Retrieved7 November2019.
  37. ^van den Berg, Stephanie (8 March 2021)."War crimes court orders record $30 million compensation for Congo victims".news.yahoo.Reuters.Retrieved8 March2021.
  38. ^"Ntaganda Case".

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bosco_Ntaganda&oldid=1234899898"