KIGALI, Rwanda, March 18 (UPI) -- An African warlord nicknamed "The Terminator" turned himself in to American diplomats Monday and sought safe passage to the Netherlands to stand trial.
Gen. Bosco Ntaganda, officially a member of the Congolese army, has been sought by international forces since 2006, when the International Criminal Court at the Hague charged him with crimes against humanity.
The Wall Street Journal reported American officials at the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda confirmed Ntaganda turned himself in there and asked to be taken to Europe to stand trial. His motivation wasn't immediately clear.
Human rights groups and security analysts said Ntaganda has played a key role in fomenting the ongoing M23 rebel uprising in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Members of Ntaganda's Tutsi-led militia were officially absorbed into the Congolese army on March 23, 2009 -- giving rise to the group's name. Recently, many have defected, saying the DRC reneged on terms of their deal.
Hundreds have been killed in sporadic fighting since then in the gold-rich eastern section of the country.
Ntaganda is accused of conscripting child soldiers and sanctioning the rape and killing of civilians in eastern Congo in 2002 and 2003.
