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DR Congo:General Bosco Ntaganda plead not guilty to War Crime charges at the ICC / Africa News

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The Congolese war crimes suspect Bosco Ntaganda has appeared for the first time before the International Criminal Court ICC at The Hague, following his surprise surrender to authorities last week.

Gen. Ntaganda, a key figure in the conflict and rebellion in the eastern DR Congo, pleaded not guilty to war crimes and crimes against humanity in his first time.

But the presiding judge interrupted him and said he should not enter into a plea at this stage since the system is a process that must be followed.

Gen. Ntaganda handed himself personally to the US embassy in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on 17 March and was flown to the Netherlands, where the war crimes court is based for his trial.

He has fought for the Congolese army and is believed also to have fought for several rebels group in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

Most recently, he was believed to be one of the leaders of the M23 rebel movement, which has been fighting government troops in the eastern DR. Congo off late.

He was part of the Union of Congolese Patriots rebel group, led by Thomas Lubanga who last year became the only person to be convicted by the ICC.

The eastern DR Congo has suffered from two decades of violence and conflicts linked to ethnic rivalries and competition for the control of the area’s rich mineral resources.

The unrest began when some of the ethnic Hutu militants accused of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda fled into DR Congo for an asylum.

Local reporters in the DR. Congo say human rights groups have celebrated Gen. Ntaganda’s surrender to the court as a victory for international law and the victims of atrocities in the region.

People in the DR.Congo also expressed their happiness for his surrender but asked the court to interrogate him well as he is being sponsored by some “big men’’ believed to be politicians.

General Ntaganda was informed of his charges and was told a confirmation hearing would be held on 23 September to determine whether there is enough evidence to continue with the trial.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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