Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Containment in Action: One of World’s Most Wanted War Criminals Suddenly Hands Himself In



Posted By Stephen Cook On March 19, 2013

Stephen: Having been on the run for over 10 years, one of the world’s most-feared war criminals, Congo’s Bosco Ntaganda, AKA ‘The Terminator’, has suddenly handed himself in to the US Embassy in Rwanda.
His action has surprised many, including the European diplomat in Kigali who is quoted in this story as saying: “Something significant must have shifted, but so far no-one has any clue what that could have been.” 
Yet for those of us who’ve heard our sources talk about the concept of  ‘containment’, I strongly suspect the evidence is right here. And I doubt it will be the last complete character reformation we’ll be hearing about.

ICC-wanted DR Congo rebel surrenders to US embassy in Kigali

By Mike Pflanz, Nairobi, The telegraph UK – March 18, 2013

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/9938478/ICC-wanted-DR-Congo-rebel-surrenders-to-US-embassy-in-Kigali.html

Ntaganda is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity including rape, murder and recruiting child soldiers Photo: AP
Photo: AP
Bosco Ntaganda, one of the world’s most wanted war criminals walked up to the gates of the US Embassy in Rwanda and handed himself in, asking to be transferred immediately to The Hague.
Ntaganda was most recently commander of the M23 rebels who, allegedly with Rwanda’s backing, swept near-unopposed last year into Goma, the largest city in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But Ntaganda – nicknamed The Terminator – was wanted for recruiting child soldiers, murder, rape and sexual slavery going back to an earlier conflict in Congo’s Ituri province, in 2002 and 2003.
The International Criminal Court indicted him on seven counts of war crimes and three of crimes against humanity, and issued its first arrest warrant against him in 2006.

Ntaganda had been hiding in the forested mountains north of Goma, leading a rump of rebels who had split from the main M23 movement, which is itself splitting into warring factions.

But yesterday he arrived on foot at the US Embassy in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and asked to be flown to The Hague.

“For over 10 years now, Ntaganda has left a trail of atrocities across eastern Congo, leading his troops to murder, rape, and pillage,” said Ida Sawyer, Congo researcher with Human Rights Watch.
“The US now needs to make sure he faces justice for these alleged crimes by immediately sending him to the ICC in The Hague.”

The US is one of a handful of countries that have not signed the Rome Statute, meaning it is not party to the world’s war crimes court. However, it is expected that Washington will comply with Ntaganda’s request.

“I can confirm that Bosco Ntaganda…walked into the US embassy in Kigali this morning. He specifically asked to be transferred to the ICC in The Hague,” a spokesman for the US state department said.

It was not immediately clear why one of the world’s most wanted men had suddenly decided that a cell at The Hague was a better option than staying in the Congolese forests.

“Something significant must have shifted, but so far no-one has any clue what that could have been,” said one European diplomat in Kigali.

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