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ICC: Uganda
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni referred the 18-year-old conflict to the ICC in December 2003, marking the first time an ICC member country sent a situation to the Court. After considering the evidence, on July 29, 2004, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo announced the launch of a formal investigation into the ongoing human rights violations in Uganda.
The war in northern Uganda has devastated the civilian population, killing tens
of thousands and displacing an estimated one and a half million more. The Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) has been accused of abducting more than 30,000 children
and forcing them to fight, carry out hard labor, and serve as sex slaves to
commanders. Both the LRA and the Ugandan army have been accused of committing
human rights violations.
The ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed after July 1, 2002, on
Ugandan territory. It will investigate and indict those most responsible for the
planning and commission of the atrocities. Because the ICC will only the most
serious criminals, many people who have committed acts that could be considered
crimes will not be investigated by the ICC. The ICC
will work with national authorities to ensure local justice and reconciliation
efforts for those who the Court will not indict.
Latest News Stories:
The ICC Prosecutor Met with Senior Leaders from
Northern Uganda
April 22, 2005 -- Recently, the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Chief
Prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, met with senior leaders from the Acholi,
Lango, Iteso, and Madi communities to discuss the ICC's investigation of
atrocities committed in Uganda.
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READ MORE ABOUT THE ICC INVESTIGATION OF UGANDA
Resources:
- Report: In Uncharted Waters (CGS) PDF
- Press release on the launch of the Ugandan investigation (CGS) HTML
- Newsletter article on the ICC in Uganda and the DRC (CGS) PDF
- Press release on crimes committed in Barlonya Camp in Uganda (ICC) PDF
- Online book about human rights atrocities in Uganda (UN) HTML
- Report about the abductions and abuses in Northern Uganda (HRW) PDF
Last updated April 22, 2005
