Government to consult on new court

Legal proceedings against Ugandan rebel leaders may be held in a special court instead of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a government minister said on 19 August.

Ruhakana Rugunda, interior minister and head of the delegation to the talks between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), said the option of a new court will be debated and consultations held in conflict affected areas.

"We find that there is a need for a court with special status as the best legal framework that will best handle the situation," he told reporters.

"What we will be looking for is people’s views on the laws that need to be put in place in order to achieve accountability; laws that need amendment; the process the LRA will have to go through in order to account and reconcile with the community," the minister added.

On 29 June, the government and LRA rebel leaders signed the third phase of a five-stage agreement aimed at ending the near 20-year long conflict.

It dealt with accountability and providing a local justice mechanism to try LRA rebel leaders and others facing charges of crimes against humanity.

"We want the outcome of the peace talks to be both acceptable locally and internationally," Rugunda said. "There is no doubt that the traditional courts will be appropriate especially for smaller crimes."

He added: "In all this we will be looking for a mechanism through which the question of impunity will be answered while at the same time achieving reconciliation."

Through the mediation of the southern Sudan government, Kampala has asked the LRA to get involved in the consultation inside Uganda, he said. It was not yet known what the response of the group would be.

The Ugandan conflict began in 1988 when LRA chief Joseph Kony took leadership of a two-year-old regional rebellion. Thousands have been killed and almost two million displaced.

Related stories

vm/sr