No amnesty for Kony, says Amama
SECURITY minister Amama Mbabazi has ruled out amnesty for LRA chief Joseph Kony.
By Emmy Allio
SECURITY minister Amama Mbabazi has ruled out amnesty for LRA chief Joseph Kony.
He said Uganda will not talk to LRA’s top brass wanted by the International Criminal Court and Interpol for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“There is no amnesty for Kony and we cannot speak to Kony,†Mbabazi said on Thursday in Bombo.
He said besides the ICC indictment, the Ugandan law does not provide amnesty for Kony and his top four commanders. He said the Amnesty Bill which becomes law soon, rules out amnesty for Kony and his chiefs.
However, in Juba, the government of Southern Sudan says it is still awaiting the arrival Uganda government delegation. Dr. Riek Machar, deputy head of south Sudan’s autonomous regional government, was yesterday quoted by the Sudan Tribune as saying, “We have initiated the peace process and we hope it will bring lasting peace to northern Uganda and south Sudan.â€
Mbabazi, the outgoing defence minister, said the UPDF was on a mop-up against Kony rebels and the Government was concerned about their presence in the Garamba Park. “They are rebuilding in Garamba. But we are also working to stop them linking with ADF, PRA and WNBF rebels,†he said.
Speaking while handing over to his successor, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Mbabazi said the Government was pushing for a regional mechanism to address the matter, with the support of the US, Britain, Norway, South Africa and Canada.
Mbabazi said, “If attacked by Kony rebels, the UPDF has an obligation to pursue and fight the rebels wherever they are.†Machar, who is Southern Sudan vice-president, said his government was working with “friendly†countries to have the ICC arrest warrants for five LRA chiefs withdrawn. “The ICC should differentiate between a political process and a legal process. The main agenda of this process is peace,†he said, adding they had asked Britain and the US to support the talks.
Machar was quoted by AFP as saying, “The UN Security Council welcomed our position, although it was more supportive of the ICC. But the Council said it sees the reason for the option of talks rather than war.â€
Sudan’s Vice-President Salva Kiir defended the talks and told the UN Security Council delegation that they were a necessary evil to end decades of conflict in the region. Kiir said he would help arrest LRA leaders but “some new commanders would come up.†Last week, Interpol issued arrest notices for the five, to its 184 member states. Delivering the state of the Nation address on Thursday, President Yoweri Museveni welcomed the talks.
Henry Okello Oryem, the state minister for foreign affairs, said Uganda was still consulting the ICC on whether to resume talks.
Ends
SECURITY minister Amama Mbabazi has ruled out amnesty for LRA chief Joseph Kony.
He said Uganda will not talk to LRA’s top brass wanted by the International Criminal Court and Interpol for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“There is no amnesty for Kony and we cannot speak to Kony,†Mbabazi said on Thursday in Bombo.
He said besides the ICC indictment, the Ugandan law does not provide amnesty for Kony and his top four commanders. He said the Amnesty Bill which becomes law soon, rules out amnesty for Kony and his chiefs.
However, in Juba, the government of Southern Sudan says it is still awaiting the arrival Uganda government delegation. Dr. Riek Machar, deputy head of south Sudan’s autonomous regional government, was yesterday quoted by the Sudan Tribune as saying, “We have initiated the peace process and we hope it will bring lasting peace to northern Uganda and south Sudan.â€
Mbabazi, the outgoing defence minister, said the UPDF was on a mop-up against Kony rebels and the Government was concerned about their presence in the Garamba Park. “They are rebuilding in Garamba. But we are also working to stop them linking with ADF, PRA and WNBF rebels,†he said.
Speaking while handing over to his successor, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Mbabazi said the Government was pushing for a regional mechanism to address the matter, with the support of the US, Britain, Norway, South Africa and Canada.
Mbabazi said, “If attacked by Kony rebels, the UPDF has an obligation to pursue and fight the rebels wherever they are.†Machar, who is Southern Sudan vice-president, said his government was working with “friendly†countries to have the ICC arrest warrants for five LRA chiefs withdrawn. “The ICC should differentiate between a political process and a legal process. The main agenda of this process is peace,†he said, adding they had asked Britain and the US to support the talks.
Machar was quoted by AFP as saying, “The UN Security Council welcomed our position, although it was more supportive of the ICC. But the Council said it sees the reason for the option of talks rather than war.â€
Sudan’s Vice-President Salva Kiir defended the talks and told the UN Security Council delegation that they were a necessary evil to end decades of conflict in the region. Kiir said he would help arrest LRA leaders but “some new commanders would come up.†Last week, Interpol issued arrest notices for the five, to its 184 member states. Delivering the state of the Nation address on Thursday, President Yoweri Museveni welcomed the talks.
Henry Okello Oryem, the state minister for foreign affairs, said Uganda was still consulting the ICC on whether to resume talks.
Ends