Congolese war crimes suspect Bosco Ntaganda is set to appear before the International Criminal Court at The Hague for the first time, following his surprise surrender last week.
Gen Ntaganda, a key figure in the conflict in eastern DR Congo, denies war crimes and crimes against humanity.
At Tuesday’s pre-trial hearing he will be informed of the charges – and dates for future appearances will be set.
He faces 10 counts, including rape, murder and using child soldiers.
Gen Ntaganda handed himself in at the US embassy in the Rwandan capital Kigali on 17 March and was flown to the Netherlands, where the war crimes court is based.
Known as “The Terminator”, he has fought for a number of rebel groups as well as the Congolese army.
Most recently, he was believed to be one of the leaders of the M23 rebel movement, which has been fighting government troops in the east.
He is accused of seven counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Ituri, DR Congo, between 2002-2003.
In the courtroom on Tuesday he will be asked to confirm his identity and tell the judges in which language he would like to follow the proceedings.
They are then expected to set a date for the confirmation hearing, which will determine whether there is enough evidence against him stand trial.
Eastern DR Congo has long suffered from high levels of violence linked to ethnic rivalries and competition for the control of mineral resources.
Human rights groups have celebrated Gen Ntaganda’s surrender to the court as a victory for international law and the victims of atrocities in the region.
But some analysts have suggested his surrender was his last resort and only chance of staying alive after splits within the M23 rebels, the BBC’s Anna Holligan in The Hague says.
