By Christopher Gehrke
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, South America

KAMPALA, Uganda – Joseph Kony, the head of the Lord’s Liberation Army (LRA), will not sign a peace deal before the International Criminal Court (ICC) quashes international arrest warrants issued against him and other LRA commanders.

The ICC issued warrants for Kony, Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen in July 2005 for 33 counts – war crimes, crimes against humanity, abduction, sexual enslavement, mutilation, and using children as fighters – according to New Vision.

The LRA members have to sign the peace agreement before the ICC will do something about the warrant, says the Ugandan government.  President Yoweri Museveni said last week that the government can save Kony and the other accused.

“We can save him because we are the ones who sought assistance from the ICC,” he said to journalists in London.

“Because he was not under our jurisdiction, we sought assistance from the ICC.  If he signs the peace agreement and returns to our jurisdiction, it becomes our responsibility, not any other party’s, including the ICC.”

Museveni explained that the Ugandan government sought the ICC’s help because Kony fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The ICC intervenes in cases of impunity or where governments cannot punish those involved in crimes against humanity.  Uganda would use its domestic justice system in place of the ICC if Kony and the others sign the peace agreement and return to Uganda.

Kony has recently moved more than three quarters of his forces from the DR Congo to the Central African Republic.  This change of bases raises doubts as to whether he will be available to sign a peace deal before the March 28 deadline, reports AllAfrica.com.

“Kony has moved most, if not all, his troops out of Garamba,” said Walter Ochora, an acquaintance of Kony who keeps an eye on the LRA.  “He only left a teenage commander in Ri-Kwang-Ba named Lt. Okello.  This is worrying [as] it seems LRA is not for peace.”

For more information, please see:

allAfrica.com – Uganda:  ICC Softens on Kony’s Case – 16 March 2008

allAfrica.com – Uganda:  We Can Save Kony – President Museveni – 11 March 2008

New Vision Online – LRA case to determine fate of ICC – 16 March 2008

allAfrica.com – Uganda:  Kony Crosses Into Central Africa Republic – 16 March 2008