ICC upholds conviction of DR Congo’s warlord Bosco Ntaganda

March 30, 2021 Elwin Mandowa

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The International Criminal Court on Tuesday upheld the war crimes conviction against Congolese rebel leader, Bosco Ntaganda.

The Court in 2019 sentenced the former military leader to 30 years in prison.

Ntaganda was convicted of several atrocities including murder, rape and conscripting child soldiers.

He was found guilty on 18 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for acts committed when he was military operations chief for the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-2003.

The former warlord was also accused of keeping women as sex slaves and murder in the DR Congo between 2002 and 2003.

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Named the Terminator because of his brutality, Ntaganda appealed against his 30-year jail sentence.

But a five-judge appeals panel rejected all 15 of Ntaganda’s challenges to the convictions and also upheld his sentence.

“The appeals chamber confirms by a majority the conviction decision and rejects the appeal lodged by Mr Ntaganda and the prosecutor,” Presiding Judge Howard Morrison said.

Ntaganda’s UPC, dominated by the Hema clan, targeted rival Lendu people for expulsion from the mineral-rich Ituri region during the Congolese conflict.

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Hundreds of civilians were killed and many thousands were forced to flee the country.

Ntaganda was incharge of the troops that executed the 2008 Kiwanji massacre of 150 people.

He became a general in the Congolese national army but defected and sparked a rebellion resulting in massive displacement of citizens.

After years of being on the radar and being wanted Bosco Ntaganda surrenders to US embassy in Kigali.