LRA asks Ugandan gov't to legalize traditional justice

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has asked Ugandan government to legislate for an alternative traditional justice system that will help the indicted rebel leaders escape the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants. The request for a new law is contained in the rebels' position on "Accountability and Reconciliation in relation to the ICC Indictment" dated June 20 and presented to Riek Machar, chief mediator in the talks between the government and the rebels.

Daily Monitor Friday quoted a paper presented by the LRA peace delegation chairman Martin Ojul in Juba, southern Sudan.

"In a nutshell, the complementarity principle is that if the state can prove that its national jurisdiction is able genuinely to carry out prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations of violations of human rights and international law and make appropriate measures in respect of the perpetrators... by ensuring that those responsible... are prosecuted, tried and duly punished, the ICC would then not be competent to prosecute the case referred to it. Article 17 1 (a) of the Rome Statute provides, " Ojul said.

The chairman added the LRA argues that the preferred way for Uganda to satisfy its obligations under international and internationalized criminal tribunals is through enactment of domestic legislations that would enable it to fulfill its obligations.

The ICC in October 2005, indicted five top LRA leaders including their commander Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti for crimes against humanity. The indictment has been viewed as a stumbling block to the return of peace in northern Uganda. The rebels say they fear arrest after coming out of the bush.

"The Agreement on accountability and reconciliation is the fulcrum upon which the success of all our efforts in the peace talks shall be anchored," Ojul said.

"However, as we rededicate the total commitment of our principles to these talks, we find ourselves in the embarrassing situation where the fate of these talks may not be in the hands of the parties to the talks but in the hands of third parties (ICC)," Ojul said.

Source: Xinhua