ICC Prosecutor criticizes peace talks, calls for "special forces" to arrest Kony
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has renewed calls for international efforts to arrest LRA leader Joseph Kony and two other commanders indicted by the court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Speaking at a conference in Chicago recently, Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that if Kony is arrested, “we will have peace tomorrow”. He also recently criticized the peace talks, saying, "all negotiations did was lead to impunity.” In addition, Ocampo maintained that UN peacekeepers in the DR Congo could be equipped with "special forces" able to arrest the indicted commanders. Read more at IWPR.
However, many observers in the region doubt the immediate capacity of regional militaries and UN peacekeeping operations to mount an effective campaign against Kony. While cross-border cooperation is needed to protect civilians from attacks (allegedly) carried out by LRA, an operation aimed directly at arresting Kony could put civilians in the region in the crossfire and endanger the hundreds of women and children in the LRA camp. An attack also would likely lead Kony's already dispersed forces to scatter across at least three countries in the region, and could lead to retaliatory attacks on civilians.
Ocampo's comment that negotiations have failed and led to nothing but impunity come at a particularly sensitive time as mediators continue dialogue with Kony and his commanders reportedly pressure him to sign a final peace deal. However, regardless of the success of current initiatives, nearly two years of peace talks between the Ugandan government and LRA have reaped enormous benefits for war-affected communities in northern Uganda. The negotiations have led to a halt of LRA attacks in northern Uganda, leading to dramatic increase in security and humanitarian indicators and allowing hundreds of thousands of people to begin returning to their homes. The Juba agreements on comprehensive solutions to the conflict and accountability and reconciliation have provided frameworks to address regional divisions in Uganda, address crimes committed during two decades of conflict and restore the broken relationship between northerners and the current government. Failing to acknowledge these accomplishments is an insult to the mediators and war-affected communities still hoping for (and working towards) a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
However, many observers in the region doubt the immediate capacity of regional militaries and UN peacekeeping operations to mount an effective campaign against Kony. While cross-border cooperation is needed to protect civilians from attacks (allegedly) carried out by LRA, an operation aimed directly at arresting Kony could put civilians in the region in the crossfire and endanger the hundreds of women and children in the LRA camp. An attack also would likely lead Kony's already dispersed forces to scatter across at least three countries in the region, and could lead to retaliatory attacks on civilians.
Ocampo's comment that negotiations have failed and led to nothing but impunity come at a particularly sensitive time as mediators continue dialogue with Kony and his commanders reportedly pressure him to sign a final peace deal. However, regardless of the success of current initiatives, nearly two years of peace talks between the Ugandan government and LRA have reaped enormous benefits for war-affected communities in northern Uganda. The negotiations have led to a halt of LRA attacks in northern Uganda, leading to dramatic increase in security and humanitarian indicators and allowing hundreds of thousands of people to begin returning to their homes. The Juba agreements on comprehensive solutions to the conflict and accountability and reconciliation have provided frameworks to address regional divisions in Uganda, address crimes committed during two decades of conflict and restore the broken relationship between northerners and the current government. Failing to acknowledge these accomplishments is an insult to the mediators and war-affected communities still hoping for (and working towards) a peaceful resolution to the conflict.