The founder too leader of a Democratic Republic of Congo rebel grouping who is wanted for crimes against humanity has surrendered, the United Nations mission inward Congo has said.
Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, the founder of Nduma Defense of Congo, has been wanted since 2011 on a national warrant for crimes against humanity, including for majority rapes.
He surrendered to United Nations forces inward the country's North Kivu share on Wednesday.
Sheka handed himself inward "in amount awareness of the fact that he is wanted past times the regime ... to stand upwardly lawsuit for alleged crimes", the mission said.
It was non similar a shot clear why he had turned himself in, only his forces select been locked inward a losing struggle inward recent years alongside a competitor armed group, Reuters intelligence way said.
The United Nations mission said it would back upwardly Congo authorities inward pursuing criminal prosecutions for human rights violations, too it has a standing understanding alongside the regime to ensure that those handed over to national authorities are treated inward accordance alongside all relevant human rights standards.
Eastern Congo has been plagued past times myriad armed rebels since the Rwandan genocide inward 1994.
Ida Sawyer, the Human Rights Watch's Central Africa director, said Sheka's give upwardly brings promise for jurist too a reprieve from violence.
"Thousands of civilians inward eastern Democratic Republic of Congo select been affected past times crimes committed past times forces nether Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka's command, too many nonetheless fearfulness the side past times side attack," she said.
He remained at large for over 6 years every bit his troops continued to commit horrific crimes, Sawyer said.
According to the UN, Sheka's forces too 2 other armed groups raped at to the lowest degree 387 civilians betwixt July xxx too August 2, 2010, to punish them for alleged collaboration alongside Congolese regime forces.
His soldiers are besides defendant of razing almost 1,000 homes too businesses too taking almost 100 people off into forced labour.
HRW said Sheka's forces function on to grip many women too girls hostage every bit sexual practice slaves.