{{General Bosco Ntaganda has made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, more than seven years after the court first issued a warrant for his arrest.}}
Ntaganda, the first ever suspect to voluntarily surrender to the ICC is facing seven counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity.
“My name is Bosco Ntaganda, I only have the two names, the names given to me by my parents,” he said when presiding judge Ekaterina Trendafilova asked him to identify himself.
“As you know, I was a soldier in the Congo,” he said. I am Congolese.”
“I was informed of these crimes but I plead not guilty,” Ntaganda said before Trendafilova cut him short.
“I do not want to interrupt you. The purpose of the initial appearance is a very limited one,” the judge said. “You will have ample opportunities to make your point as thoroughly and necessary to the chamber.”
The judge set September 23 as the date for a hearing to confirm the charges against Ntaganda, who was allegedly involved in the murder of at least 800 people in villages in the volatile DR Congo’s Ituri region.
During that hearing, prosecutors must convince the court’s judges they have enough evidence to take him to trial.
Leave a Reply