Rwanda denies responsibility
2013-03-19 13:18
Kigali - Rwanda is not responsible for Congolese war crimes
suspect Bosco Ntaganda who is currently in the US embassy in Kigali, Rwandan
Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said on Tuesday.
Ntaganda, who has been indicted by the International
Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, walked into the embassy on Monday and asked
to be handed over to the ICC, according to US officials.
The UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting Ntaganda and his
March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, in violation of arms sanctions. Kigali
denies the charges.
"Rwanda has nothing to do with Bosco Ntaganda going to
the ICC or not. He is on US territory and now the issue is between the US, DRC
and the ICC," Mushikiwabo said in a phone interview.
"The ICC is a political court and we have never
believed in its jurisdiction," she added, but pledged to work with the US.
The US is not a party to the ICC treaty, but it could choose
to cooperate with the court.
Ntaganda is sought by the ICC for a range of crimes,
including recruiting child soldiers, murder, rape and sexual slavery during DRC’s
civil war, which ended in a fragile peace in 2003.
The M23 recently split into two factions, with the one loyal
to Ntaganda suffering a series of defeats in eastern DRC, forcing its top
fighters and political leaders to seeking refuge in Rwanda.
Ntaganda has been in and out of various armed groups in
volatile eastern DRC over the last decade.
In 2009, he and loyalist fighters were integrated into the
Congolese army, but they defected again last year to form M23, accusing
Kinshasa of violating the deal.
The group is largely comprised of ethnic Tutsis, who also
make up the majority in the Rwandan government.
"The integration into the Congolese army of former
warlords, many of whom are known human rights violators, has fostered a culture
that encourages, rather than deters, serious abuses," said pressure group
Human Rights Watch.
Uganda, which is facilitating talks between Kinshasa and
M23, has said a peace deal could be signed between the stronger rebel faction
and the Congolese government within a week. Officials have indicated M23 is
seeking reintegration into the army under new terms.
- SAPA
