A former rebel leader has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of Congo by judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Bosco Ntaganda, nicknamed “Terminator”, was convicted of 18 counts, including murder, rape and using child soldiers.
His lawyers had argued that Ntaganda was a victim, having also been recruited as a child soldier.
He becomes the fourth person convicted by the ICC since its creation in 2002.
Ntaganda surrendered at the US embassy in DR Congo in 2013.
Analysts said it was an act of self-preservation, motivated by the danger he was in after losing a power-struggle within his M23 rebel group.
Who is Bosco Ntaganda?
- Born in 1973, grew up in Rwanda. Fled to DR Congo as a teenager after attacks on fellow ethnic Tutsis. At 17, he began his fighting days – alternating between being a rebel and a soldier, in both Rwanda and DR Congo
- 2006: Indicted by the ICC for allegedly recruiting child soldiers. In charge of troops who carried out 2008 Kiwanji massacre of 150 people
- 2009: Integrated into Congolese national army and made a general
- 2012: Defects from the army, sparking a new rebellion which forces 800,000 from their homes
- 2013: Surrenders to US embassy in Kigali, after splits in his rebel group
Source: BBC Africa
