Congolese Warlord Sentenced to 30 Years

Ntaganda’s rebel forces march in eastern DRC in 2013. (Flickr)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) unanimously sentenced rebel general Bosco Ntaganda to 30 years in prison on November 7. According to BBC, Ntaganda’s sentence marks the longest ever sentence in the history of the ICC.

This sentence follows Ntaganda’s conviction in July 2019, which found the former warlord and rebel general guilty on 13 counts of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity, according to an ICC statement. These offenses occurred from 2002 to 2003 in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Ntaganda led rebel forces in an intense ethnic conflict. During this time, Ntaganda earned the nickname “The Terminator” for his brutality. In one incident, he ordered the slaughter of an entire village, including infants, reports the New York Times.

Ntaganda’s crimes include murder, rape, enlisting child soldiers, sexual slavery, intentional attacks on civilians, and more. This case is notable for its conviction of sexual slavery as it marks the first conviction for the crime in the ICC’s history, according to CNN. 

Ntaganda has already appealed his sentence, according to Al Jazeera. His lawyers claimed in an official statement that the court’s decision “contains many errors of law and fact.” The defense’s statement also notes that Ntaganda believes the sentence reflects “neither the truth nor the reality,” and he maintains that his character was misrepresented in the case.

Human rights experts view Ntaganda’s sentence as a victory in the field as critics of the court have frequently questioned the court’s effectiveness and , according to the New York Times. Kathryn Sikkink, a professor of human rights at Harvard University, believes that this case reaffirms the ICC’s power to deliver justice even when its member states fail to do so. Similarly, Amal Nassar, a representative for the International Federation for Human Rights, stated that Ntaganda’s sentencing “restores hope and confidence in the court.”