 Kampala -- International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said efforts on the arrest warrant of Joseph Kony had intensified. He said he had asked MONUC, the UN peace-keepers in the DR Congo, to help arrest Kony. He said another reason for his visit to Uganda was to find out what else the ICC could do to speed up Kony's arrest. "If you arrest Kony, the group (LRA) will collapse," Ocampo remarked.
| Or some even worse thug will step up. Africa seems to have no shortage of thugs ... |
| If they're the ones I'm thinking of, it's highly likely the replacement thug will not be nearly as well dressed. |
He said the rebels had taken advantage of the peace talks to "regain strength" but it was now possible to arrest Kony since all actors in the region had promised cooperation.
"It's important to put him on trial for the crimes he committed in northern Uganda for 22 years. It's time to stop him," Ocampo said. "These massive atrocities are not about the local people, it is about humanity." He commended the collaboration between Uganda and Congo in hunting down Kony who is also accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
State minister for international relations Henry Okello Oryem said when Kony is arrested, he will be handed over to the ICC and not tried in Uganda. "Mat-oput (traditional justice) doesn't apply," Oryem said. "There's an on-going operation to arrest Kony. Those actions continue and we are determined however long it takes." |