International Criminal Court concludes Ugandan war crimes investigation: Statement

ATHENS

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced Friday that it concluded an investigation of war crimes in Uganda committed between July 2002 and the end of December 2005.

The court sought warrants in May 2005 for the arrests of five suspects, namely Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odhiambo, Vincent Otti, Dominic Ongwen and Joseph Kony, who were among the highest commanders of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) which committed gross violations of human rights, including sexual and gender-based crimes and crimes against children in northern Uganda.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan that Kony is the only leader of the LRA, “who remains at large and the only remaining suspect in the case.”

“Accordingly, absent a significant change in circumstances and without prejudice to all work required to support the ongoing judicial process, the investigation phase in the Situation in Uganda is concluded. The competent authorities of the Republic of Uganda have been notified of the decision.”

Khan said he is not willing to continue to overpromise and underdeliver for survivors and the families of victims.

The LRA is a Ugandan rebel group that has abducted, mutilated and killed thousands of civilians in northern Uganda and across the region.

In 2005, the ICC issued arrest warrants against its leader and other top commanders, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In January 2015, LRA leader Dominic Ongwen surrendered, and after a four-year trial, he was convicted Feb. 4, 2021.

The LRA has continued to operate in remote border areas of Sudan and South Sudan.