Ssemujju Nganda the Opposition Chief Whip.

The Kasese Members of Parliament led by the Opposition Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, insist that the attack and killing of civilians by UPDF and police officers was unnecessary and avoidable and that such incidences should not ever happen again in the near future.

The MPs who included: Bukonjo East Halord Muhindo, Kasese Municipality MP, Robert Centenary,Bukonzo West MP, Atkins Katusabe and Busongola East MP, William Nzoughu told journalists at Parliament that if government security officers had not attack Mumbere’s palace, there would have been no senseless killings like it was.

The MPs are not sure whether the security officers were killed by the civilians since there were uncoordinated security movements during their shooting.

MP Katusabe who witnessed the killings said that the order from the President overtaken the negotiation between the Army commander, Prime Minister and King Mumbere to resolve the matter peacefully.

They demand the President to prevail over security to stop killing people in Kasese, calling for independent probe into this perceived massacre and Genocide and vowed to report the matter to international criminal court so as the individuals perpetrators are charged against Humanity.

Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere who is currently under detention.

The MPs demand for unconditional release of the Rwenzururu King Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere.

55 people, including 41 rebels and 14 police officers, have been killed in clashes between the army and what government termed as rebels in Rwenzori region.

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The Hague-based court according to the press release, said it will only hear out the opening statements on that day.This will then be followed by the presentation of the evidence by the prosecution in January 2017.

The setting of the trial date comes three months after the Pre-Trial chamber of the same court, confirmed all the 70 charges that were brought against Ongwen and Indeed after the pre-trial session, the court ruled that it had found enough evidence to have Ongwen stand trial for the crimes he allegedly committed during the two-decade insurgency in Northern Uganda.

The confirmed charges are in connection to LRA rebel attacks on various internally displaced people’s camps in Northern Uganda including Pajule, Odek, Lukodi and Abok.

Mr Ongwen’s trial is to be heard by a panel of three judges who include; Bertram Schmitt (presiding judge), Peter Kovacs and Raul C Pangalangan.

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The point of departure the dignitaries said was the attendance of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir and the remarks he made on the International Criminal Court (ICC). Museveni said court is Irrelevant to the Africa. 

ICC Chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo in 2008 alleged that al-Bashir bore individual criminal responsibility for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed since 2003 in Darfur.

Museveni took time during his victory speech to throw jibes at the ICC which he said has lost credibility is no longer entertained in Africa.

“We lost interest in ICC, it is non of our business. ICC is a bunch of useless people” Museveni said as Bashir nodded in affirmative.

The diplomats were seen walking out immediately after these comments were made, a development that the American Embassy confirmed to Daily Monitor.

“I can confirm that the US delegation departed the inauguration ceremony because of the presence of Sudanese President Bashir and the comments of President Museveni regarding the international criminal court(ICC). The US did not lead the walkout, it was a mutual decision,” American embassy Spokesman Chris Brown said by telephone last evening.

Museveni also praised China and Russia, which he called Uganda’s genuine friends and made negative comments that were interpreted as targeting the western countries.

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President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan

Below is the full press release:

Civil society calls on ICC member states to arrest and avoid Sudanese president at Organization of the Islamic Cooperation summit Jakarta/The Hague—International Criminal Court (ICC) member states should arrest and avoid all non-essential contact with ICC fugitive Omar al-Bashir at a summit of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on 6-7 March 2016, the Coalition for the ICC said today.

Sudanese President al-Bashir is subject to two outstanding arrest warrants issued by the ICC in 2009 and 2010 for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur, Sudan. This week marks the seventh anniversary of the first warrant issued for al-Bashir. He has made up to 74 international trips in the intervening period.

“Inviting al-Bashir to Indonesia flies in the face of the election promises of President Jokowi for accountability for grave human rights abuses,” said Amielle Del Rosario, Asia-Pacific regional coordinator at the Coalition for the ICC. “Indonesia must demonstrate its leadership in the region and responsibility to its people by ensuring that when genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are committed, those responsible are brought to justice.”

Due to the ICC’s lack of enforcement mechanisms, the Court must rely on member states to execute arrest warrants. Although Indonesia is not an ICC member state, the UN Security Council resolution which referred the situation in Darfur to the Court urges all UN members to fully cooperate with the ICC.

In 2014, the ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), adopted a resolution urging ICC member states to avoid contact with persons subject to a warrant of arrest issued by the Court, unless such contact is deemed essential.

“Global civil society calls on all ICC member states to abide by the resolution of the Assembly of States Parties on non-essential contact with ICC fugitives by avoiding Omar al- Bashir at the Indonesia summit this week,” continued Del Rosario. “Non-essential contact with an individual subject to outstanding ICC warrants goes against the spirit and purpose of the Rome Statute to end impunity for grave crimes. Such contact lends credibility to suspects enjoying liberty when they should instead be in ICC custody and conveys a message of indifference and disregard to victims of alleged crimes and their families.”

Avoiding contact with persons subject to an ICC arrest warrant is essential to long-term strategies of arrest. It signals that there should be no business as usual with those seeking to evade justice and affirms the integrity of the ICC’s arrest warrants and attests to the importance of cooperation with the Court. Maintaining the validity of the arrest warrants over time will contribute to the marginalization of fugitives which at times becomes a prerequisite to eventual arrest.

The ASP resolution also provides for ICC member states to voluntarily advise the ICC of their own contacts with ICC fugitives on occasions they deem essential. A specific policy on avoiding non-essential contacts is in effect for ICC member states in the European Union. The United Nations also has a policy for its officials and staff on avoiding non-essential contact with persons wanted by the ICC.

Indonesia, the third largest democracy in the world and a central player in the Southeast Asian region, has repeatedly pledged to join the ICC but has yet to follow through. The Coalition repeats its call on Indonesia encourage the Indonesian government to urgently ratify the Rome Statute.

“Ratification of the Rome Statute in the near future presents Jokowi with a perfect opportunity to live up to his promises. It would be a momentous decision, setting him apart from previous administrations beholden to the perpetrators of abuses and demonstrating a clear commitment to protecting the people he represents from the worst crimes,” Bhatara Ibnu Reza, research expert for Imparsial and spokesperson for the Indonesian Coalition for the ICC. “Indonesian society is strongly in favor of the Rome Statute, and we have been pushing for our government to ratify it for over a decade; Jokowi must respond to this call.”

Background

The ICC is the world’s first permanent international court to have jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Central to the Court’s mandate is the principle of complementarity, which holds that the Court will only intervene if national legal systems are unable or unwilling to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

About us

The Coalition for the International Criminal Court is a global network of civil society organizations in 150 countries fighting for justice to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide through national courts and the international Criminal Court.

www.coalitionfortheicc.org

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The International Criminal Court has unveiled 60 new war crimes charges against the deputy leader of Uganda’s brutal Lord’s Resistance Army, including using child soldiers and keeping sex slaves. The Hague-based court said the prosecution gave formal notice that it intends to expand the scope of the charges against Dominic Ongwen.

The court plans to file the additional charges on December 21 on top of seven initial accusations meaning he now faces a total of 67 counts.

Ongwen, known as the “White Ant”, was a former child-soldier-turned-warlord who became one of the most senior commanders of the LRA. He the first leader of the brutal Ugandan rebel army  led by the fugitive Joseph Kony  to appear before the International Criminal Court which was set up to try the world’s worst crimes and is accused of killing more than 100 000 people and abducting 60 000 children.

The charges all relate to attacks carried out on camps housing people who had been forced to flee their homes in the bloody Ugandan rebellion that started in 1987.

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Some legislators say that the attempted arrest of President Omar Al-Bashir is lessons to some African Presidents, who are dictators, cling to power and commit atrocities. The High Court in Pretoria on Sunday extended an order preventing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from leaving South Africa, where he had gone to attend an African Union Summit, until it made a final decision on calls for his arrest on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

However, yesterday President Omar Al-Bashir left South Africa for Khartoum were he received a hero’s welcome, although it was established that he is wanted for war crimes. This pre-empted a court ruling over an international warrant for his arrest.

Kaberamaido District Woman Member of Parliament Florence Ibi said it should be a warning to all presidents who take power and refuses to hand over power and turn against their subjects. Marunzi county MP in Lira District, Maxwell Akora, noted that this attempt gives a signal to all African Leaders who practice impunity.

Bughendera County MP in Bundibugyo District, Matte Joseph Sibalinghaha, was of another view; he said that it is unfortunate that ICC is biased because it arrests only African Leaders and leaves western Leaders. Matte says African Leaders should be handed over to African Union for prosecution to keep the sovereignty of the country.

The Pretoria High Court issued an order for Mr Bashir’s arrest hours after his aircraft left the country. The deputy prosecutor James Stewart told the BBC “We still remain quietly optimistic and determined to see justice done in this case.”

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) is prepared to charge Joseph Kony in case he has been arrested. Intelligence reports and the information the government is getting from satellites show that the LRA leader Joseph Kony is about to be arrested. As a consequence, Joseph Kony’s lawyers in Kampala have gone to Hague and settle with ICC a few issues.

A source tells us that Kony’s lawyer Caleb Alaka went to Hague on March 30^th on sponsorship of an International human rights group/ organisation and Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa leaves the country on 2^nd April.

Sources tell us that Muyizzi and Caleb Alaka’s trip to Hague is intended to make them prepared to plead for LRA leader in case is truly arrested.

The Ugandan top criminal lawyers also have gone to Hague for a pre trial chamber of the ICC and they are expected to discuss several procedural matters and cases before this Court from the great lakes region and most especially matters touching the indictments of LRA top commanders.

They will also discuss the progress of the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the high court of Uganda, a special division created to try International related crimes and crimes against humanity.

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The US soldiers helping Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and the Central African Republic to hunt Kony would have bombed the place where Kony is hiding but doing this would lead to death of many people he is surrounded with.

A source in the UPDF further tells us that US wants to have Kony arrested alive such that he is taken to the International Criminal Court.

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Ugandans petition ICC to probe Museveni over human rights violations

It seems Ugandan president Gen. Yoweri Museveni is soon becoming the hunted. Sections of Ugandans have written a secret letter to the international Criminal Court (ICC) asking it to probe the increasing human rights abuse in Uganda reportedly by president Museveni using police and other security agencies.

In their petition the petitioners alleged that president Museveni has used police and other security agencies to violet human rights. Sources are shocked that the matter has gone far because some top city criminal lawyers in Kampala have been invited to the ICC. They include Samuel Muyizzi and Caleb Alaka. Alaka and Muyizzi will leave Uganda for ICC on 30^th March 2^nd April 2012 respectively.

When contacted, Caleb Alaka said theirs is a study trip at the pre trial chamber of the ICC and they are expected to discuss several procedural matters and cases before this Court from the great lakes region and most probably some matters touching the indictments of LRA top commanders etc.

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Five top city criminal lawyers in Kampala have left the country to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on sponsorship of an International human rights group/ organisation.

Caleb Alaka (30^th March) and Samuel Muyizzi Mulindwa (2^nd April) are among those who are set to leave the country to the to the pre trial chamber of the ICC.

When contacted, Caleb Alaka said it is a study trip at the pre trial chamber of the ICC and they are expected to discuss several procedural matters and cases before this Court from the great lakers region and most probably some matters touching the indictments of LRA top commanders.

They will also discuss about the progress of the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the high court of Uganda, a special division created to try International related crimes and crimes against humanity.

The case against Thomas Kwoyelo is expected to dominate the discussion about the ICD performance. It is a case which has put to test the judicial system of Uganda as kwoyelo who was released by the Constitutional court remains remanded at Luzira without a valid remand warrant.

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