Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

Africa

Ugandan LRA rebel commander to be tried at ICC: army

– Punishment raids –
His troops excelled in punishment raids where they would slice the lips and ears off victims as a grim calling card.

The US State Department accuses him of “murder, enslavement and cruel treatment of civilians”, and had offered a $5 million bounty for information leading to his capture.

Uganda is a signatory to the ICC and is legally bound to hand over wanted suspects to the court.

However, President Yoweri Museveni last month called for African nations to quit the ICC, accusing the court of being used as a “tool to target” the continent. READ: Museveni plots mass Africa exit from the ICC.

Over 12,000 ex-LRA fighters – mainly footsoldiers who were themselves abducted by the gunmen – have been pardoned under a government amnesty designed to encourage those still in the bush to surrender.

But presidential spokeswoman Lindah Nabusayi said Tuesday the amnesty did not cover those accused of crimes against humanity, saying the president would not “pardon terrorists who have abused the sanctity of human life.”

Long driven out of Uganda, small bands of LRA fighters now roam forest regions of CAR, DR Congo, Sudan and South Sudan. Kony, who claims mystical-religious powers, has long been reported to be based in the Sudanese-controlled Kafia Kingi enclave.

On Monday, Uganda’s NTV television station broadcast an audio interview with a man they said was Ongwen, who said he had surrendered because he was “wasting my time in the bush.”

Ongwen, in an appeal to remaining fighters to surrender, said he fled because Kony had wanted to kill him, telling comrades he “only wants to be chief and for you to work for him like a slave”.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

About The Author

Pages: 1 2

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News