ICC To Rule On Appeal By DR Congo’s Militia Commander Bosco Ntaganda

The International Criminal Court, ICC, is to decide on an appeal by a Congolese warlord dubbed the “Terminator”, who received the tribunal’s longest-ever war crimes sentence.

In 2019, Militia leader Bosco Ntaganda was convicted by the Hague-based ICC over a reign of terror in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the early 2000’s, and jailed for 30 years.

The court earlier this month awarded Ntaganda’s victims $30 million  in reparations, provided he was convicted on appeal. ICC appeals judges will hand down their decision on his appeal against his conviction and sentence at 1300 GMT.

The Rwandan-born 47-year-old was found guilty of 18 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, sexual slavery, rape and using child soldiers.

Judges said Ntaganda was also a key leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots rebel group and its military wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo.

However, Ntaganda’s lawyers, when they announced his intention to appeal, said the Rwandan remains fine and strong, adding that the ICC’s decision to convict him contained many errors of law and fact.