Press Release - Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on Bosco Ntaganda's Surrender to the International Criminal Court in The Hague

Bosco Ntaganda's surrender to the International Criminal Court marks an important day for international justice and the people of the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a leader of various armed groups, including most recently the M23, Ntaganda is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity involving rape, murder, sexual slavery, and the forced recruitment and use of thousands of Congolese children as soldiers. He has eluded justice for nearly seven years. Bringing Ntaganda to justice will be an important step toward ending the cycle of impunity that has fostered violence and instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for far too long. The United States thanks the Rwandan, Dutch, and British governments for their cooperation in facilitating the departure of Bosco Ntaganda from Rwanda to The Hague. We hope that today's positive development will add further momentum to efforts to devise a comprehensive political agreement that addresses the region's underlying security, economic, and governance issues.