The ICC Should Let Uganda Try Kony – Kadaga
Uganda's Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga
Uganda’s speaker of parliament Honourable Rebecca Kadaga has added her voice to those advocating for war crimes offenders to be tried by countries where they have committed the said offenses.
The speaker made these remarks on Monday while addressing the 7th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court and the World Parliamentary Conference on Human Rights in the Italian capital Rome that was convened by Parliamentarians for Global Action .
“States should be free to refer a matter to the ICC, withdraw it or direct proceedings to be carried out by the state’s local courts. Uganda tried to withdraw its reference to the ICC concerning the leaders of the LRA but without success,” Kadaga said.
Joseph Kony, the leader of the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army that waged a two decade war in Northern Uganda was in 2005 indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands though he is still at large.
The speaker also raised the issue of the conflict between the Rome Statute and national laws passed by states signatory to the Statute and advised the international Criminal Court to resolve it.
Fatou Bensouda, the ICC chief prosecutor reiterated the commitment of the international community to arrest and try Kony and his accomplices for crimes against humanity.
She also appealed to member states for cooperation in enforcing the arrest of persons for whom warrants have been issued.
The ICC is the first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
32 African countries are signatories to the Statute while 12o member states have since ratified the statute.
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Am just wondering why the government doesnt want Kony tried in the Hague. Believe Kadaga, if he is tried in Uganda, he wont have a fair trial but rather a kangaroo court. And if he is tried by the ICC, M7 will be dragged in the mess & be tried too. Thats the worry of government. They know this
many court orders were given in his favour BUT Kwoyelo he never got any grain of justice.. The International Crimes Division of the High Court is very ineffective in its current state for it isnt immune to state influence! As of now, Uganda cant try Kony
Why did we even sign onto this ICC? The court is answerable to no one. It’s simply a court for the under developed countries. We have our own laws and courts that are able to handle these cases. There is Interpol to help arrest fleeing suspects.
We gave away our sovereignty the moment we signed onto the ICC.
kenno, what do you mean by unfair trial if kony is tried in Uganda?.What do you mean to say M7 would be dragged into the kony case if he tried in D’Hague/. Do you know the laws under which the arrest warrant for kony is issued or you are simply a beneficieary of a free space to expose ignorance