I’m a 'revolutionary,' not a criminal - warlord
THE HAGUE Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda told international judges on Thursday he was a "revolutionary and not a criminal" as arguments drew to a close in his three-year war crimes trial.
Ntaganda, aged around 44, is accused of overseeing massacres of Lendu and other civilians by his rebel army in the Ituri region of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002 and 2003. "I am a revolutionary, but I am not a criminal," Ntaganda told the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Once a feared commander, Ntaganda now faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the bloody conflict wracking the mineral-rich but volatile region. Speaking in his native Kinyarwanda tongue, the rebel commander, on the final day of the hearing, said his own testimony during his trial was "an enriching experience which I will never forget." "I am at peace with myself. These allegations are nothing more than lies," said Ntaganda, dressed in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and blue diamond-patterned tie. Ntaganda again took aim at his nickname "The Terminator." which was also used by prosecutors to describe him during the trial. "I hope that you now realise that the 'Terminator' described by the prosecutor is not me," Ntaganda said, his glasses perched on his nose. Rwandan-born Ntaganda, also an ex-general in the Congolese army, had a reputation as a charismatic leader with a penchant for cowboy hats and fine dining. He faces 13 counts of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity as a commander of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC). The alleged crimes include murder, rape, sexual slavery and recruiting children under the age of 15. Ntaganda has been on trial at the ICC since 2015. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The first-ever suspect to voluntarily surrender to the ICC, he walked into the US embassy in Kigali in 2013 and asked to be sent to the court.
I hope that you now realise that the ‘Terminator’ described by the prosecutor is not me,” Ntaganda said, his glasses perched on his nose.— Bosco Ntaganda