ICC prosecutor promises to push for Kony’s arrest

The Office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has assured thousands of victims of the two-decade war in northern Uganda, waged by rebel leader Joseph Kony, of its commitment to capture the fugitive warlord and bring him to justice, according to the Daily Monitor. Leonie Von Braun, the senior trial lawyer in the Prosecutor’s Office, told the court that although the confirmation of charges hearing had concluded, efforts to arrest Kony, who led a brutal rebellion under the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), are ongoing. Kony’s defence team, led by Peter Haynes, objected to the proceedings, arguing it was inappropriate to receive evidence in the absence of the accused. His case is the first in the ICC’s 27-year history to be heard without the suspect present. Victims’ lawyers urged the judges, Justice Althea Violet Alexis-Windsor (presiding), Julia Motoc and Ben Mahfoudh, to confirm the charges. Joseph Manoba, another lawyer for the victims, said his clients welcomed the pledge to proceed to trial should Kony be captured. ‘...Joseph Kony was manipulative. He used promotions among the regular LRA members and the distribution of girls as a so-called reward mechanism to prevent escape from the LRA. He combined this with demanding and implementing severe punishment, including death sentences for those who attempted or planned to escape,’ he added. After hearing the parties, Alexis-Windsor announced the chamber would deliberate and issue its decision within the required timeframe. Under ICC rules, the judges have up to 60 days to deliver their ruling. Kony is the ICC’s longest-standing fugitive. An arrest warrant was issued against him in 2005.

Full Daily Monitor report