ICC reaffirms Shs18 billion reward for informatoin leading to Joseph Kony’s arrest
By Our reporter
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reiterated that the 5 million USD (about Shs18 billion) reward still stands for whoever will give useful leads/information leading to the arrest of an elusive warlord, Joseph Kony.
Mr Sant-Anna Dahirou, the International Cooperation Advisor, Office of the ICC Prosecutor, said that re-echoing about the existence of the bounty shows their seriousness in hunting down Kony.
Kony has been wanted for the past 19 years to face 33 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in connection with the two-decade war he launched against President Museveni’s government in northern and eastern parts of Uganda that left over 100,000 people dead and close to two million displaced.
“We have always made the call that he (Kony) should surrender and that it’s an opportunity for him to also come and tell his story before the court. By the way, the 5 million USD reward still stands for whoever has useful information leading to his arrest,” Mr Dahirou said on November 21 while updating selected journalists in Kampala about the progress of the Kony case at the court.
Likewise, Ms Leonie Von Braun, a Senior Trial Lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor, speaking at the same press briefing, said they have not relented on the search for Kony and have him brought to book.
“So, on the first aspect, I want to engage with you about today, where do we stand on ensuring that Joseph Kony is finally arrested? There are no promises we can make, but I can say that we have reinvigorated not only the case in legal terms but also our efforts to ensure he is arrested or surrenders,” Ms Braum said.
Adding: “So, in parallel to taking all necessary legal steps to advance the proceedings as far as the statute allows, we are working closely with our partners in the region, the Ugandan authorities, and other jurisdictions. We receive intelligence, some good, some less good, but we follow all leads we receive,” Mr Dahirou said at a media press conference in Kampala.
In 2021, the U.S. government, one of the major funders of the ICC, announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Kony, the rebel leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) that operated in northern and parts of eastern Uganda in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The two visiting officials, who have been in the country for the past few days, also revealed that as the prosecution, they have requested the judges of the court to consider holding the hearing of the confirmation charges of Kony in absentia in Uganda and not the Hague, which request, they said, is yet to be responded to.
The prosecution said if their permission is granted, the said confirmation hearing of charges will take place either in Gulu, Lira, or the capital, Kampala.
Initially, the hearing of the confirmation charges in absentia had been fixed for October 15 this year, but the same was deferred to an unknown date in the future, with the ICC officials today saying the new date is now likely to be next year.
The elusive rebel leader faces 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity that he allegedly committed when he waged a civil war against the current regime.
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