Bosco Ntaganda

This article's content is marked as Mature The page Bosco Ntaganda contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page.

Bosco Ntaganda Full Name: Bosco Ntaganda Alias: "The Terminator" Origin: Kiningi, Rwanda Occupation: Chief of Staff of the CNDP Goals: Overthrow the government Crimes: War crimes Rape Murder Crimes against humanity Sexual slavery Torture Mutilation Arson Type of Villain: Depraved War Criminal

“	When you're a soldier, you get a woman for free.	„
	~ Bosco Ntaganda.

Bosco "The Terminator" Ntaganda (born November 5, 1973) is a Congolese rebel and the former chief of staff of both the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) and the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC), rebel groups which sought to overthrow the Congolese government. Since the 1990s he has been accused of various human rights abuses against the people of the DRC, including crimes against humanity and war crimes. He was arrested by the International Criminal Court in March 2013 and subsequently convicted of murder, sexual slavery, rape and use of child soldiers under the age of fifteen, among other charges.

Biography

Despite being ethnically Rwandan, Ntaganda received Congolese citizenship at an unknown point. He joined the Rwandan Patriotic Front at age seventeen and helped to overthrow the oppressive regime of Jean Kambanda in 1994 following the end of the Rwandan Genocide. Ntaganda subsequently joined the FPLC and became the chief of military operations, gaining the nickname "the Terminator" after the famous sci-fi action film. It was around this time that Ntaganda began his descent into atrocities. Under his leadership, the FPLC committed acts of mass murder and used rape as a weapon against their enemies. Ntaganda allegedly told other soldiers that they could "get a woman for free" during the conflict. He was also responsible for conscripting young children to fight in the army, a war crime under the Rome Statute.

During his Congolese military career, Ntaganda grew wealthy by unfairly levying taxes on the civilian population. He routinely crossed the border between Rwanda and the DRC, with Rwanda refusing to stop him despite his wanted status. Following a peace agreement in 2009, Ntaganda (at the time a member of the CNDP) betrayed his superior Laurent Nkunda and had him placed under house arrest, assuming control of the group. During his tenure as the leader, he was responsible for the forcible and illegal population transfer of various towns.

In 2002, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ratified the Rome Statute. The ICC subsequently prepared two arrest warrants against Ntaganda. However, he remained at large for many years, defecting from the DRC along with several hundred troops in 2012 and clashing with government forces. President Joseph Kabila ordered his arrest.

Eventually, in March 2013 Ntaganda surrendered to ICC forces and requested transfer to the International Court at The Hague. At his first appearance before the ICC in the Hague on 26 March 2013, Ntaganda denied his guilt. His trial began in September 2015. He pleaded not guilty to eighteen charges brought against him, including rape, murder, recruitment of child soldiers and sexual slavery of civilians. Eighty witnesses, including former child soldiers and Ntaganda's rape victims, were called to testify against him.

On July 8, 2019, Ntaganda was convicted on all counts. The Court deemed him personally responsible for three of the counts and indirectly responsible for the other counts. He was sentenced to thirty years imprisonment, with six years' credit for time served.