Southern Sudan fund and feed LRA - Interpol tries to arrest Kony and murderous cronies

Human Rights Watch reports today that the new regional government of Southern Sudan has ignored the International Criminal Court's warrants for the arrest of four top Ugandan rebel leaders. The regional government, which acknowledges that the rebel Lord s Resistance Army (LRA) has committed grave abuses, has an obligation to help bring its leaders to justice.

On May 2, representatives of the Southern Sudan government met in southern Sudan with LRA leader Joseph Kony (see pic)and his second-in-command, Vincent Otti, ( said to be the first meeting Kony has held with outsiders for a decade)
who are subjects of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court. In a digital video recording of the meeting made by the Sudanese participants, Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, vice-president of the regional government, can be seen handing over bundles of cash to Kony. On the recording, the vice-president is heard cautioning Kony not to use the money for ammunition.

Musaveni sought ICC help

In December 2003, Ugandan Prime MInister Museveni invited the International Criminal Court to investigate the LRA. On October 14, 2005 the court issued warrants for the arrest of the top five LRA leaders: Kony and Otti, who attended the May 2 meeting; and Okot Odhiambo, Raska Lukwiya and Dominic Ongwen ( now dead). They are accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The former Sudanese SPLM rebels now heading the southern regional government who until January 2005 waged a 21-year war against the National Congress government of Sudan, said that the meeting with Kony was meant to stop LRA attacks in southern Sudan. If the LRA agreed to this, the Southern Sudanese government stated that it would mediate peace talks between the LRA and the Ugandan government.

The regional Sudanese government defended its actions of May 2 in the media and to the Sudanese public by saying that it gave the LRA food, reportedly five tons, and some cash, reportedly US$20,000, to purchase more food supplies. The LRA has claimed that it attacked Sudanese civilians to feed its troops.

Kony also apparently listed several demands to be put to the Ugandan government, including amnesty from prosecution by Uganda and the ICC.

Musaveni offers amnesty

Museveni has said publicly that if the talks were successful, he would give the LRA leaders amnesty and protect them against ICC prosecution. The ICC then reminded the Ugandan government of its obligations as a party to the ICC to arrest Kony and the other men who are the subject of arrest warrants.

ICC / Western justice different from paying criminals with food and money

Riek Machar (who handed the US$20,000 over to Kony) told Human Rights Watch that the ICC represented European justice, ignoring the fact that Museveni had invited the ICC to Uganda. The vice-president, citing Southern Sudan s multiple challenges of establishing a new democracy in a long-neglected and war-torn area, said his fledgling government could not be the police of the world.

At a celebration of SPLM/A Day on May 16 in Juba, Southern Sudan s capital, President Salva Kiir said that he met with European diplomats while in Kampala about this Uganda peace initiative. He claimed that the diplomats signaled that peace between the LRA and the Ugandan government was a higher priority than the arrest of the persons wanted by the ICC.

In 2001, the U.S. State Department designated the LRA a terrorist organization.

Interpol Move to arrest Kony and cronies using ICCC warrant.

Interpol has issued wanted persons "red" notices to 184 countries for Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony and four of his commanders, despite a recent call by the rebel chief for peace talks with the Government of Uganda.

These notices were based on arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the five men last year, who are all commanders of the rebel outfit.

The notices are the first to be issued by the International police agency on behalf of the ICC, which has no police of its own, according to Interpol.

"The Interpol Red Notice system is part of its global network of law enforcement agencies, created to assist in tracing and arresting internationally wanted fugitives," the ICC said in a statement on the LRA warrants late on Thursday.

Don't hold your breath and don't expect Mr Kony to have his peace disturbed any time soon.