Rightists call for Kony arrest

Apr 14, 2008

Amnesty International, a human rights group, has called for the prosecution of LRA leader Joseph Kony.

By Henry Mukasa

Amnesty International, a human rights group, has called for the prosecution of LRA leader Joseph Kony.

In a letter to the president of the UN Security Council, Amnesty was concerned about reports that some members were planning to ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to defer the trial of the LRA commanders.

“Our organisation is convinced that the ICC is best placed to ensure justice for the victims of the conflict,” Yvonne Terlingen, the head of Amnesty International office at the UN, said.

Early this year, the Government and the LRA signed an agreement on how to deal with crimes committed during the rebellion without referring persons guilty of serious crimes to the ICC.

While in London recently, President Museveni said the Government could save Kony from the ICC if he signed a peace agreement and submitted to national jurisdiction.

The ICC indicted Kony, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen, who is suspected to have been killed over the weekend, for crimes against humanity.

Amnesty said it was opposed to the deferral of prosecutions, saying it would interfere with the independence of the ICC prosecutor.

The group suggested that the Security Council should call on Uganda, the Central African Republic, Congo and Sudan to fulfil their obligation of arresting and surrendering indicted individuals to the ICC.

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