( CNN ) -- On March 18 , a Congolese warlord known as Bosco `` the Terminator '' Ntaganda surrendered to the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda . Notorious for his alleged butchering of communities , including a 2008 massacre in which 150 people were killed by machetes , clubs and bullets , Ntaganda will likely face trial at the International Criminal Court for war crimes seven years after his indictment . On a recent trip to eastern Congo , I met Patrick , a 25-year-old charcoal maker who had survived two attacks allegedly led by Ntaganda . Four months ago , working on a hot afternoon just south of the equator in Kibumba in eastern Congo , it seemed like a normal day for Patrick . A week before , his wife had given birth to a baby boy , Janvier . Then suddenly , Patrick heard a `` boom ! '' And he ran home as quickly as he could . Patrick 's village had just been attacked by the M23 rebel group co-commanded by Ntaganda . For Patrick , it was the second time he had been displaced in four years by an armed group led by Ntaganda . Panting , he arrived back home , but his wife and newborn were nowhere to be found . `` Then I heard the bombs land , and I had to flee , '' he told me in the displacement camp where he now struggles to survive on one meal per day . Months later , Patrick had still been unable to find his family in the camps , which now include more than 2 million people . `` My children used to crawl onto my lap , eat little candies I would buy them and make me laugh . Now I ca n't go far to look for them , as I 'm afraid I 'll be abducted by rebels . I 'm told my house has been burned down . It 's so tough for me . I do n't know where they are . ... '' The Terminator 's surrender has sparked jubilation in eastern Congo after years of suffering under his ruthless rule , during which he also amassed millions of dollars through a conflict minerals smuggling ring . But will this single event create lasting change for the people of eastern Congo who have suffered under repeated cycles of conflict for 18 years ? The answer hangs on three policy choices that must be made in the coming weeks . First , will war criminals be integrated back into the Democratic Republic of Congo 's army ? The M23 rebel group that Ntaganda co-led is full of officers with extremely poor human rights records of mass murders , child soldier recruitment and sexual violence . Several of them are close to signing a peace deal to rejoin the Congolese army in talks brokered by one of the rebel group 's alleged backers , Uganda . Previous peace deals that integrated war criminals into Congo 's army , including Ntaganda , reignited conflict soon thereafter as the warlords again behaved lawlessly . To stop this , newly appointed U.N. envoy Mary Robinson should immediately insist that any reintegration deals should be only for rank-and-file troops , not commanders most responsible for atrocities . To support this , the International Criminal Court should investigate and indict the commanders of M23 leaders and other armed groups most responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity , and the Congolese justice system should prosecute other mutineers . Second , will there be a peace process with strong international backing ? After years of failed peace agreements , there is finally a chance to address the underlying interests of Rwanda , Congo and Uganda that have fueled conflict in eastern Congo . This is possible now because of the strong new international pressure against external support to rebel groups , the removal of Ntaganda , the lowered profitability of the trade in conflict minerals and the International Monetary Fund 's pressure on Congo to enact governance reforms . Robinson should start negotiations that would subsume the Kampala talks , and the Obama administration should follow the U.N. lead in appointing a senior-level envoy to the peace process and ensure that regional economic integration and security issues are brought to the fore of the process . Third , will the international community vigorously support real governance reform in Congo ? The U.S. and U.N. envoys should proactively back a root-and-branch Congolese reform process to address critical issues that undergird the conflict , from decentralization to army reform . The process should include an impartially facilitated national dialogue that allows Congolese civil society , including women leaders , to have a real voice at the table . When asked this year what could be done to end the war , Patrick said , `` Please tell President Obama to arrest Bosco , ( M23 commander ) Sultani Makenga and the ringleaders . If they 're not arrested , they 'll continue the war , and my life will always be on the run . '' At least one of these warlords is now in custody , but there will be no end to the war until the international community robustly backs a lasting peace and reform process that includes accountability for the worst war criminals . It is time to give Patrick a chance to play with his children again and end this cyclical war once and for all . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sasha Lezhnev .
Sasha Lezhnev notes a notorious Congolese warlord turned himself in . Lezhnev says there may be positive news , but human tragedy persists in the region . A 25-year-old charcoal maker is still searching for his wife and infant son . He was abducted by armed men from an orphanage on April 20.