Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have convicted a former rebel leader from the Democratic Republic of Congo of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The judges found Bosco Ntaganda, nicknamed “Terminator” guilty of murder, rape and recruiting child soldiers.
But his lawyers say Ntaganda was also a victim of the crime she is accused of since he was also recruited as a child soldier.
Ntagand has now become the fourth person convicted by the ICC since 2002.
Bosco Ntaganda has been on trial at the ICC for allegedly using child soldiers.
He was also accused of keeping women as sex slaves and murder in the DR Congo between 2002 and 2003.
#ICC Trial Chamber VI finds Mr Bosco #Ntaganda guilty of 18 counts of war crimes & crimes against humanity, committed in Ituri #DRC, in 2002-2003. pic.twitter.com/eQ86Q5hVet
— Int’l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) July 8, 2019
Bosco Ntaganda grew up in Rwanda after his birth in 1973. He however fled to DR Congo as a teenager after attacks on fellow ethnic Tutsis.
He was recruited as a child soldier and started fighting at the age of 17 as a rebel and a soldier.
In 2006 he was indicted by the ICC for recruiting child soldiers four years after the ICC was established.
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.
Source: Africafeeds.com
