Warlord on hunger strike says he is ‘ready to die’

A former Congolese rebel commander who started a hunger strike last week to protest the conditions of his detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) told judges on Tuesday he is “ready to die”. Bosco Ntaganda faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed by his troops in the Democratic Republic […]

A former Congolese rebel commander who started a hunger strike last week to protest the conditions of his detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) told judges on Tuesday he is “ready to die”.
Bosco Ntaganda faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed by his troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002-2003.
“I have no possibility to see my wife and children again under normal conditions. This is the reason I have lost all hope. This is why I am ready to die,” Ntaganda said in a statement read out by his defence lawyer.
Ntaganda also instructed his lawyer to no longer represent him and cease all legal actions on his behalf. The three-judge panel of judges was considering the statement.
He stopped eating last week to protest restrictions on his phone calls and visitation rights which have been in place since 2014 due to concerns he was trying to interfere with witnesses.