Bosco ntaganda biography of abraham

But it is his ruthlessness that really stood out for her: "He is someone who will never face up to his crimes. He always denies and comes up with excuse after excuse to justify what he has done. The list of his alleged crimes is huge - and Congolese people say "The Terminator" is regarded as a man who leads from the front and personally takes part in military operations.

In Novemberinternational journalists filmed him commanding and ordering his troops in the village of Kiwanja, 90km 55 miles north of Goma, where people were massacred in a single day. He also commanded troops accused of having killed, because of their ethnicity, at least civilians in the town of Mongbwalu, in Ituri district, after his troops took control of the rich gold mines in the area in In early Aprilhe defected from the Congolese army - leaving Goma, taking with him up to heavily armed soldiers.

Later that year, Ntaganda's M23 rebel group seized Goma before agreeing to withdraw. Months of fighting forced somepeople to flee their homes. But in unexplained circumstances and with the rebels under intense international pressure, they split. Ntaganda lost out to loyalists of his rival, Col Sultani Makenga, and apparently fearing death, he walked into the US embassy in Kigali, from where he was transferred to The Hague, where has now finally faced justice for his crimes.

Africa Today podcasts. Human Rights Watch. UN mission in DR Congo. Image source, AFP. By Penny Dale. Ntaganda had denied all 18 charges. Born ingrew 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 Indicted by the ICC for allegedly recruiting child soldiers In charge of troops who carried out Kiwanji massacre of people Integrated into Congolese national army and made a general Defects from the army, sparking a new rebellion which forcesfrom their homes Surrenders to US embassy in Kigali, after splits in his rebel group.

References [ edit ]. BBC News. The New York Times.

Bosco ntaganda biography of abraham

Trial International. Archived from the original on 8 July Retrieved 8 July Retrieved on 13 May Institute for War and Peace Reporting1 May Retrieved on 9 October The Independent. Retrieved 11 July NBC News. Retrieved 7 November Archived from the original on 24 September Retrieved 30 June Congo: een geschiedenis. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij.

ISBN Archived PDF from the original on 16 August Retrieved 28 June Congo rebels demand proof of ICC suspect's guilt. The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October So Why isn't He in The Hague? RNW Media. Retrieved 12 July Retrieved 29 April Williams, Alison ed. Ntaganda had two outstanding arrest warrants, the first issued in and the second in After a peace agreement between the Congolese government and the CNDP, Ntaganda served as a general in the Congolese army until In AprilNtaganda and a group of Congolese soldiers mutinied to form the M23, a rebel group alleged to have committed horrific human rights violations, including summary executions, mass rape, and forced recruitment of child soldiers.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo became a bosco ntaganda biography of abraham party to the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, the Rome Statute, when it signed the treaty on September 8, and ratified it on April 11, This gave the ICC jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes of humanity, and genocide committed on Congolese territory or by Congolese citizens after July 1, — the date that the Rome Statute entered into force.

However, the ICC only has jurisdiction in cases where the government proves unwilling or unable to investigate and prosecute those crimes. The ICC prosecutor initially chose to focus his investigation on the situation in Ituri due to the gravity of the crimes committed during the Ituri conflict. However, the ICC judges declined to confirm charges against Mbarushimanaand Mudacumura remains at large.

The investigation uncovered sufficient evidence to suggest that during the Ituri conflict the FPLC carried out repeated acts of enlistment, conscription, and use of children under the age of fifteen who were trained to participate in armed conflict. On August 22,Pre-Trial Chamber I at the ICC issued an arrest warrant alleging that there are reasonable grounds to believe that as the Deputy Chief of General Staff for Military Operations, Ntaganda used his authority within the FPLC to actively implement the policy of enlisting, conscripting, and using children under the age of fifteen to participate actively in hostilities.

After receiving an application from the prosecution, the court issued a second, broader arrest warrant against Ntaganda on July 13, Based on materials provided by the prosecution, judges found reasonable grounds to believe that during the conflict in Ituri from September to Septembercrimes against humanity and war crimes were committed. The warrant of arrest also stated that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Ntaganda, as a leader in the FPLC, is responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crimes against humanity of murder, rape and sexual slavery, and persecution as well as the war crimes of murder, rape and sexual slavery, pillaging, and attacks against the civilian population.

On March 18,Ntaganda surrendered himself at the U. The calls were actively monitored and limited in duration, language, and subject matter, with the use of coded language or discussion of case-related matters prohibited. Ntaganda was permitted one hour of phone conversation per week, which judges later revised to three hours per week. Ntaganda was permitted to speak to his children through his wife, and he could record messages to be played to the seven children after review of their content by the Registry.

On September 7,judges maintained the restrictions, stating that their continuation was necessary to ensure the safety of witnesses, prevent breaches of confidentiality, and ensure the integrity of proceedings. In response, Ntaganda went on a day hunger strike and boycott of proceedings. In Februaryjudges lifted all the restrictions, which had been in place for two and a half years.

They determined that since the evidentiary phase of the case was coming to a close, it was no longer necessary to maintain these restrictions. Ntaganda contested the jurisdiction of the ICC to try him over the alleged war crimes of rape and sexual slavery of child soldiers in the Union of Congolese Patriots UPC by fighters from the same militia group.