ADF leader's son granted amnesty

By Chris Kiwawulo    

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel leader Jamil Mukulu’s son has been granted amnesty after he denounced the rebellion and handed himself over to Ugandan authorities.

Hassan Nyanzi, 25, surrendered in April this year but the Amnesty Commission could not grant him amnesty because Part Two of the Amnesty Act 2000 under which the commission grants ex-combatants express amnesty, had expired.

He reportedly sneaked away from the ADF camp in DR Congo in April before he travelled to Kenya from where he connected to Uganda.

Nyanzi, who was allegedly involved in rebel activity between 2008 and 2010, was delivered to the Commission by Patrick Wacha, a superintendent of police attached to the counter-terrorism unit. true

The Commission chairperson, Justice Peter Onega (right), on Wednesday told the press at his offices in Wandegeya that they granted Nyanzi amnesty after outgoing Internal Affairs minister, Hillary Onek, reinstated the amnesty provision.

Onega also said the minister renewed the Commission’s mandate for two more years, adding that; “our mandate was due to expire on May 27 but the minister renewed it on May 25.”

Besides Nyanzi, Onega revealed that a yet-to-be identified LRA rebel had surrendered and was due to be granted amnesty as well.

“There is an LRA rebel whom we received at Entebbe airport on Monday from DR Congo. We could not readily get his details and process his amnesty because he had bullet wounds in his legs and his condition was bad.

"We referred him to Mulago hospital for treatment,” Onega explained.

The commission chairperson appealed to all rebels who are still in the bush to denounce rebellion, saying the commission was ready to receive and resettle them in their respective communities.

Onega revealed that since its inception in 2000, the commission has granted amnesty to about 26,500 ex-combatants of which 7,300 have been reintegrated within their communities.

“Those we have reintegrated are doing well. We use our focal persons in the communities to check on them.”

Asked whether the commission was still relevant given the stability that the country is enjoying, Onega said many ADF and LRA rebels are still in the bush and need to denounce the rebellion and get reintegrated into their communities, which is their mandate.