Bosco Ntaganda
Encyclopedia
Bosco Ntaganda is the military chief of staff of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), an armed militia
group operating in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC). He is a former member of the Rwandan Patriotic Army and allegedly a former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC).
As of May 2008, he is wanted by the International Criminal Court
for the war crime
s of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of fifteen and using them to participate actively in hostilities.
He is also known as "the Terminator" and his surname is sometimes given as Tanganda, Ntanganda, Ntangana, Ntagenda, Baganda or Taganda.
He subsequently joined the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (Forces Patriotiques pour la libération du Congo, FPLC), the military wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots
(UPC), and became its chief of military operations. During this time, he is alleged to have been involved in numerous massacres and other serious human rights abuses.
In January 2005, Ntaganda was appointed a general in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a peace process, but he refused the offer. On 1 November 2005, a United Nations Security Council
committee imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on him for violating an arms embargo
.
In 2006, following conflicts within the UPC, he returned to North Kivu, his home province, and joined Laurent Nkunda
's National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP). As of April 2008, he was believed to be living in the Masisi
district of North Kivu, serving as the CNDP's chief of staff. The CNDP has now been incorporated into the regular Congolese armed forces and Ntaganda is now acting as a General in the army, despite being wanted by the ICC.
found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Ntaganda bore individual criminal responsibility for war crime
s committed by the FPLC between July 2002 and December 2003, and issued a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with the war crime
s of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of fifteen and using them to participate actively in hostilities.
The arrest warrant was originally issued under seal because the court decided that "public knowledge of the proceedings in this case might result in Bosco Ntaganda hiding, fleeing, and/or obstructing or endangering the investigations or the proceedings of the Court". In April 2008, the court ruled that circumstances had changed and unsealed the warrant.
Three other Congolese rebels, including UPC leader Thomas Lubanga
, are in custody of the ICC, and stand trial there.
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
group operating in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC). He is a former member of the Rwandan Patriotic Army and allegedly a former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC).
As of May 2008, he is wanted by the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
for the war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of fifteen and using them to participate actively in hostilities.
He is also known as "the Terminator" and his surname is sometimes given as Tanganda, Ntanganda, Ntangana, Ntagenda, Baganda or Taganda.
Career
Ntaganda fought with the Rwandan Patriotic Army in the early 1990s and participated in the overthrow of the alleged genocidal Rwandan regime in 1994.He subsequently joined the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (Forces Patriotiques pour la libération du Congo, FPLC), the military wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots
Union of Congolese Patriots
The Union of Congolese Patriots is an armed group in Ituri, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were in 2003 said to be 15000 soldiers . It has carried out numerous attacks upon civilians and other serious human rights abuses in pursuit of its policies...
(UPC), and became its chief of military operations. During this time, he is alleged to have been involved in numerous massacres and other serious human rights abuses.
In January 2005, Ntaganda was appointed a general in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a peace process, but he refused the offer. On 1 November 2005, a United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
committee imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on him for violating an arms embargo
Arms embargo
An arms embargo is an embargo that applies to weaponry. It may also include "dual use" items. An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:# to signal disapproval of behavior by a certain actor,# to maintain neutral standing in an ongoing conflict, or...
.
In 2006, following conflicts within the UPC, he returned to North Kivu, his home province, and joined Laurent Nkunda
Laurent Nkunda
Laurent Nkunda or Laurent Nkundabatware, or Laurent Nkunda Batware, or as he prefers to be called The Chairman — is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is the former warlord operating in the province of Nord-Kivu, sympathetic to Congolese Tutsis and the...
's National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP). As of April 2008, he was believed to be living in the Masisi
Masisi
Masisi Territory is a territory in the Nord-Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the places subject to the conflict between the Congolese army and militias, which has plagued the eastern Congo since the ending of the Second Congo War...
district of North Kivu, serving as the CNDP's chief of staff. The CNDP has now been incorporated into the regular Congolese armed forces and Ntaganda is now acting as a General in the army, despite being wanted by the ICC.
Indicted by the International Criminal Court
On 22 August 2006, a Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICCInternational Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Ntaganda bore individual criminal responsibility for war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s committed by the FPLC between July 2002 and December 2003, and issued a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with the war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of fifteen and using them to participate actively in hostilities.
The arrest warrant was originally issued under seal because the court decided that "public knowledge of the proceedings in this case might result in Bosco Ntaganda hiding, fleeing, and/or obstructing or endangering the investigations or the proceedings of the Court". In April 2008, the court ruled that circumstances had changed and unsealed the warrant.
Three other Congolese rebels, including UPC leader Thomas Lubanga
Thomas Lubanga
Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is a former rebel leader from the Democratic Republic of the Congo . He founded and led the Union of Congolese Patriots and was a key player in the Ituri conflict...
, are in custody of the ICC, and stand trial there.
External links
- Case The Prosecutor v Bosco Ntaganda — ICC records relating to the Ntaganda case
- Bosco Ntaganda on Interpol`s list of wanted persons