ICC Pleads With Wanted Kony To Surrender

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who is on a visit to Uganda, has reiterated that the long journey to bring justice to the victims of mass crimes committed by LRA, under the leadership of Kony, is still on course.

Bensouda said that Kony was making a mistake by continuing to hide in the forests and committing crimes against the people of Uganda, especially the vulnerable women and children.

“Leave the bush and encourage other members of the LRA to do the same. Stop committing crimes against your own people and others, do the right thing and surrender,” Bensouda said to Kony.

FAIR TRIAL

She pointed out that Kony will get a fair hearing at the ICC with the highest standards of international law.

“At the ICC, you will be treated fairly and impartially, in accordance with highest standards of justice, and with full respect for your due process rights as a defendant.   You have the opportunity to plead your case in Court and let the judicial process establish the truth.  There is no future in violence and brutality.

The ICC Prosecutor further urged other LRA fighters and followers to abandon violence.

“You have nothing to fear from the ICC. We are only concerned with those five top commanders against whom the Court has issued warrants of arrest.  Abandon violence and choose a new, more promising path; a path which has a future.  Return to your families, communities and country, and start the process of rebuilding your life.  It is not too late.”

Ms Bensouda made it clear to the Government of Uganda that all sides involved in the conflict in the Northern part of the country “would be investigated and the evidence alone would determine which individuals would ultimately be charged, irrespective of status or affiliation. “

“I wish to underscore here that, without exception, we conduct our investigations in complete independence and impartiality.  We have always been, and continue to be, guided by these same principles with respect to our work in Uganda,” added Bensouda.

LRA REFERRAL

ICC opened investigations into alleged crimes committed by the LRA in Uganda on July 28th, 2004.

The Prosecutor noted that the evidence collected “demonstrated that crimes against humanity and war crimes – including the mass killing and mutilation of civilians, the abduction of tens of thousands of children and the sexual enslavement and rape of young girls” were committed by LRA in Northern Uganda.

The Republic of Uganda ratified the Rome Statute – the Court’s founding treaty – on June 14th, 2002.  On December 16th, 2003 and in the exercise of its sovereign right under the Statute, the Government of Uganda referred the situation in Northern Uganda to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC.

The referral letter cited LRA and called for its members who had committed crimes in Northern Uganda to be brought to justice

The evidence implicated senior commanders in the LRA, namely Joseph Kony, Dominic Ongwen, Okot Odhiambo, Vincent Otti and Raska Lukwiya as being the most responsible for mass crimes.