The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou
Bensouda, has reaffirmed the commitment of the international community
to arrest and try Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel leader Joseph Kony
and his accomplices for crimes against humanity.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda
Addressing the 7th Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the
International Criminal Court and the World Parliamentary Conference on
Human Rights in Rome Italy recently, Bensouda warned that the crimes by
the LRA outfit had spread across the region from Uganda to Congo, Sudan
and Central African Republic.
“It’s a long time now since we issued warrants. I think it’s time now
that Kony is stopped, arrested and brought to the ICC. We are now ready
to start the case of Kony but we need to have his person before the
ICC”, she announced to delegates.
Prosecutor Bensouda however said the ICC lacked an international police
force to hunt for the fugitive leader and his accomplices since it only
runs as a judicial institution with no army to arrest accused persons.
The responsibility to arrest Joseph Kony she emphasized still lies with the state parties that signed the ICC Statute.
“By joining the Rome Statute, state parties commit to co-operate with
the court whenever and wherever the court decides to act. Co-operation
is critical for the success of the Court and the office of the
Prosecutor. Lack of cooperation and delays in implementation will affect
the legitimacy and efficiency of the court,”Bensouda said.
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