A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sentenced rebel leader Ntabo Ntaberi to life in prison for war crimes on Monday.

Ntaberi led the rebal group Nduma Defense of Congo, operating in the province of North Kivu from 2010 to 2014. He orchestrated raids on villages, which led to the rape of about 400 people and the deaths of almost 300. Authorities issued an arrest warrant in 2011, but he remained at large until 2017 when he surrendered to UN peacekeepers. His two-year trial involved more than 300 of the victims, 178 of whom testified. The court convicted him on charges of mass rape and crimes against humanity, including murder, sexual slavery and child soldier recruitment.

Ntaberi was prosecuted along with three co-defendants. One, Seraphin Zitonda, a commander of another militia, also received a sentence of life in prison. Their convictions have been hailed as a landmark for Congolese justice. The UN believes that the verdicts give hope to victims that the government will take them seriously and that they will receive justice.