Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Index

Former Rebels Resume Battle With the Government

In the spring of 2012, the former rebels who were integrated into the army in 2009 mutinied, saying the government—rife with corruption—had reneged on terms of the cease-fire that was signed on March 23, 2009. The rebels, called the M23 movement, are led by Gen. Bosco Ntaganda, a Tutsi who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. M23 fought government troops throughout the year, taking over city after city. The violence peaked in November, when the rebels took Goma in eastern Congo. Rwanda, which is led by Tutsi Paul Kagame, is widely suspected of not only supplying arms to the rebels but also fighting alongside them. The rebels withdrew suddenly from Goma in December, 11 days afer taking control of the city.

In March 2013, Ntaganda turned himself in to American Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda, and requested that he be brought to the International Criminal Court, which had issued arrest warrants for him in 2006 and 2012 on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including, rape, murder, sexual slavery, and the conscription of child soldiers. Ntaganda had spent the last 20 years fighting in Rwanda and in Congo, earning the nickname "Terminator" and the reputation as one of Africa's most brutal warlords. Rwandan born, he fought for the Rwanda Patriotic Front led by Paul Kagame, who is now president of Rwanda, in his fight against the Hutu-led government. He also led several rebel groups, including the M23 movement, and served as a general in the Congolese national army. He is the first person under indictment to turn himself over to the court.