ICC convicts Congolese warlord of war crimes

On Monday, the International Criminal Court held a Congolese warlord responsible for eighteen counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has long struggled with violence. Since the late 1990s, tens of thousands of people have been killed as rival militias compete for control over the region’s key resources, such as gold mines.

Bosco Ntaganda – known as “the Terminator,” was the deputy chief of staff and commander of a rebel group that carried out an ethnically-motivated massacre in the early 2000s.

The court found Ntaganda personally responsible for ordering the massacre, which left at least 800 people dead.

Ntaganda was indicted by the ICC in 2006, but didn’t face consequences until he turned himself over in 2013, apparently fearing for his life when the rebel group he fought with faltered.

The verdict is seen as a warning sign to other abusive warlords who have gone without facing the consequences. It’s also seen as a win for the ICC, which has struggled to retain credibility after prosecutors failed to convict multiple high-profile leaders on similar charges.