On March 18, one of the world’s worst warlords, Bosco Ntaganda, turned himself in to the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda. Ntaganda, also known as “The Terminator,” is the leader of several brutal armed groups and army units, including the M23, that have terrorized eastern Congo for over a decade. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

As we write this, Ntaganda is being transferred to The Hague, and a hesitant celebration has spread throughout a region home to the deadliest conflict in the world since World War II.

Further good news came on March 18 when the United Nations announced the appointment of Mary Robinson as the secretary-general’s special envoy to the region, delivering the highest level of diplomatic gravitas to broker a peace deal between the government of Congo, the M23 rebel group and regional governments. These events present a historic opportunity to secure lasting peace for the people of eastern Congo, and an urgent opportunity for the U.S. government to take action.

When we first traveled together to eastern Congo in late 2011, the devastating effects of Ntaganda’s reign were felt and seen everywhere. We met with survivors of sexual violence and former child soldiers — both of whom were healing from their wounds of war and working toward a better future. Civil society groups and human rights activists informed us firsthand of fighting between armed groups over Congo’s vast natural resources. It was clear the profits made from the violent extraction and trade in Congo’s minerals was funding the continuation of the conflict and that Ntaganda was at the center of the trade.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/us-must-act-on-congo-now-89294.html#ixzz2OfJ9pRph