Wanted: Kony, Otti, Odhiambo

By A. Wasike & Agencies

THE UN International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued the first arrest warrants for Joseph Kony and four of his top Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commanders accused of crimes against humanity, the head of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said Thursday.

Defence minister Amama Mbabazi has named the other indicted rebels as Vincent Otti, now in the DRC, Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odhiambo (both in Sudan) and Dominic Ongwen, who was killed last by the UPDF when his group infiltrated Amuria district in Teso.

Flanked by the minister for regional cooperation, Augustine Nshimye, Mbabazi said the notifications for the arrests of the five chiefs of the cultist LRA, notorious for raping, maiming and killing, were sent out to the governments of the DRC, Uganda and Sudan.
“The ICC has issued orders for Uganda, Sudan and the DRC to execute by arresting these LRA commanders for crimes against humanity. The Government of Uganda has decided to inform the public through you (media). We call upon the public to assist in their arrest. We have passed the warrants to the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions),” he said.

On whether the arrest orders would not affect the peace process, Mbabazi said, “Government will continue to support the peace process. Those that have now been indicted cannot be treated the same way like the others. We shall treat the other LRA as people we can negotiate with and can benefit from the amnesty. We shall continue to support Betty Bigombe (chief peace negotiator) and such other efforts.”
“It is our duty. It is an international obligation to fight terrorism. The difference between those years and now is that we have these arrest warrants from the UN court. We expect the whole world to help us in this one.

“Sudan supported the LRA for more than 16 years. We know that Kony is about 60km north of the Red Line in Sudan at a place called Liria. Lukwiya and Odhiambo are in Sudan with their boss. I trust that the Sudanese, who obviously know where Kony is, will execute the warrant by arresting him and the others hiding in Sudan.

“As of yesterday, Otti is 90km northeast of Aba near the Sudan border. Uganda is not planning to attack DRC to get Otti. The DRC and MONUC (the UN Mission in Congo) have the responsibility to do that. Should they not do that, the international law allows Uganda to act in self-defence,” he said.

Mbabazi added that Otti had only about 40 fighters and their families. He said the total LRA strength was about 300.

He said the warrants had no time limit. “They have no time frame. Let me tell you that even if it takes 10 years, we shall hunt for and arrest them whether they are dead or alive.”

William Lacy Swing, the UN chief Kofi Annan’s special representative in the DRC, had earlier told journalists in New York, “They have issued arrest warrants for five people. I know a couple of names... I’m not at liberty to give them because I don’t know what the ICC has put on the record.”

ICC public information officer Christian Palme said, “Our investigations are still going on. We are aware of the reports from the UN and other sources. We can’t comment on that issue now.”

The head of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, said, “The warrants of arrest are a big blow to the peace process on the ground. While we are waiting for the ICC to arrest these people, what do we do meanwhile? Do we keep talking or we keep quiet?”