The leader behind an insurgency in the Republic of Congo on Tuesday accepted the principle of laying down arms in his first public appearance since he agreed to a ceasefire last December.
Frederic Bintsamou, also known as Pastor Ntumi is head of a powerful militia called the Ninjas which launched a revolt in April 2016 in the southern region of Pool, prompting more than 138,000 people to flee their homes.
On December 23, 2017, Bintsamou’s group signed a ceasefire deal with the government which was touted as laying the groundwork for peace. In it, Bintsamou committed to “facilitating the collection of weapons held by the ex-combatants” but did not follow up on this, saying he opposed “unilateral” disarmament.
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On Tuesday, Bintsamou and members of a joint panel charged with implementing the deal met at…
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