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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 9 July 2019

Intl court convicts Congo rebel leader known as ‘Terminator’

By MIKE CORDER this day, we are trauma-
Associated Press tized by Ntaganda’s acts of
THE HAGUE, Netherlands brutality. The mass graves
(AP) — The International of the victims are still visible,
Criminal Court on Monday the whole villages burned
convicted a notorious rebel at the time are still visible. In
commander known as “The addition to this conviction
Terminator” of 18 counts of we are looking for repara-
crimes against humanity tions.”
and war crimes including Amnesty International also
murder, rape and sexual called for reparations.
slavery for his role in atroci- “We can only hope that
ties in a bloody ethnic con- today’s verdict provides
flict in a mineral-rich region some consolation to those
of Congo in 2002-2003. affected by the grotesque
Bosco Ntaganda, who crimes perpetrated by Nta-
maintained his innocence ganda and paves the way
during his trial, faces a max- for his victims and their fam-
imum life sentence follow- ilies to finally obtain a mea-
ing his convictions at the sure of justice and repara-
global court. He showed no tions,” said Joan Nyanyuki,
emotion as Presiding Judge Amnesty International’s Di-
Robert Fremr passed judg- Congolese militia commander Bosco Ntaganda sits in the courtroom of the ICC (International rector for East Africa.
ment. A separate hearing Criminal Court) during his trial at the Hague in the Netherlands, Monday July 8, 2019. Monday’s convictions were
will be scheduled to deter- Associated Press a victory for ICC prosecu-
mine his sentence. Ntagan- — men women and chil- the Patriotic Forces for the need to address the impu- tors after high profile de-
da has 30 days to appeal. dren and babies — were Liberation of Congo. The nity for other abusive lead- feats recently. In January,
Ntaganda was first indicted found in the banana field force’s leader, Thomas Lu- ers.” judges acquitted former
in 2006 and became a sym- over the next days,” Fremr banga, was convicted by “We welcome the deci- Ivory Coast president Lau-
bol of impunity in Africa, said. “Some bodies were the ICC in 2012 of using sion of the ICC. We believe rent Gbagbo and a former
even serving as a general found naked, some had child soldiers. He is serving that the victims will be re- government minister of in-
in Congo’s army before their hands tied up and a 14-year prison sentence. lieved,” said Jean-Claude volvement in crimes follow-
turning himself in in 2013 as some had their heads Maria Elena Vignoli, interna- Katende, president of the ing disputed 2010 elections.
his power base crumbled. crushed. Several bodies tional justice counsel with African Association of Hu- Last year, a former Congo-
Fremr said that Ntaganda were disemboweled or oth- Human Rights Watch, wel- man Rights in Congo. “We lese vice president, Jean-
was guilty as a direct per- erwise mutilated.” comed Ntaganda’s con- want the sentence to be Pierre Bemba, was acquit-
petrator or a co-perpetra- During his trial, Ntaganda viction. “The long-awaited fixed proportionate to his ted on appeal of crimes
tor of a string of crimes in- testified for weeks in his own judgment provides an crimes.” allegedly committed by his
cluding murders, rapes of defense, saying he wanted important measure of jus- A representative of the Len- militia in neighboring Cen-
men and women, a mas- to put the record straight tice for Bosco Ntaganda’s du community in Congo’s tral African Republic.
sacre in a banana field be- about his reputation as a victims and puts others re- Ituri province also hailed Set up in 2002, the court
hind a building called The ruthless military leader. sponsible for grave crimes the conviction. has convicted only four
Paradiso and of enlisting He was the deputy chief of on notice,” she said. “But “We are very happy with people of war crimes and
and using child soldiers. staff and commander of renewed violence in east- this decision of the ICC,” five more for interfering
“The bodies of those killed operations for rebel group ern Congo highlights the said Francois Dheda. “To with witnesses.q