The International Criminal Court will prosecute five top LRA commanders, sources in the Defence Ministry have said. The Monitor has learnt that the Cabinet is working around the clock to amend the Amnesty Law to exclude the suspects including rebel boss Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti from amnesty.
The Amnesty Act 2000 provides a blanket pardon for all in armed rebellion. Defence spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza said, “They are working on a number of people who should be excluded from the amnesty.”
He said he would not name the five for fear of “subverting the legal process.” The ICC, which started investigations on Thursday, will not prosecute children below the age of 18. It will investigate crimes starting July 1 2002 “regardless of who committed them.”
LRA’s Brig. Kenneth Banya’s capture two weeks ago saved him from trial by the ICC based in The Hague, Netherlands. Banya, a flight engineer, was LRA number four (LO-004) and has fought in the LRA since 1988 when it started rebellion.
“If Banya wants he can apply for the blanket amnesty and be forgiven,” said the chairman of the Amnesty Commission, Justice Peter Onega in an interview last week.
Onega said he was aware of the list being compiled by the government but it had not yet been forwarded to his offices. The Minister of Internal affairs, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda last week told The Monitor that the list of top LRA men was still under discussion. “The list is changing. Some LRA commanders are being killed others are being captured,” he said.