UGANDA: Obama signs law to hunt down Kony

By RISDEL KASASIRA

President Obama has signed a law that will see his government offer monetary rewards for information that can lead to arrest of people indicted by international tribunals.

The statement issued by the White House on Tuesday mentions Lord’s Resistance Army, Congolese rebels and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), who are accused of committing crimes against humanity.

“We have made it unmistakably clear that the United States is committed to seeing war criminals and other perpetrators of atrocities held accountable for their crimes, and today’s legislation can help us achieve that goal,” Mr Obama said.

Previously, the War Crimes Rewards Programme applied to individuals wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

The promise of rewards could provide an inducement to LRA commanders and fighters, as well as herders and others who transit within the border areas of the Central African Republic, Congo, South Sudan, and Sudan, to share any information about LRA whereabouts.

The Enough Project researcher, Mr Kasper Agger, said the fight against LRA should be holistic, including offering monetary rewards

The US government is authorised to spend up to $25 million and the figure might increase since the programme has been increased.

Source: Daily Monitor (17/01/2013): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Obama-signs-law-to-hunt-down-Kony/-/688334/1667662/-/d1y1hmz/-/index.html