In the Central African Republic, victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army, the rebel group of militiaman Joseph Kony, still hope to make their voices heard and be represented before the International Criminal Court.
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Until now, the investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) have focused only on crimes committed by the LRA in Uganda, and they ended on December 1, 2023. While the Court’s prosecutor hopes to be able to organize hearings against the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army in his absence, since Joseph Kony remains untraceable after twenty years of investigation, the association of Central African victims (AVLRAC) asks him to self-seize the crimes committed in the Central African Republic.
In total, 1,746 victims of the LRA have been – to date – identified in the country with the help of the United Nations, according to Aubin Kotto-Kpenze. Kidnapped in 2008, Joseph Kony’s doctor for two years, the president of the association (AVLRAC) asks the authorities of his country to refer the matter to the ICC to join the case currently under investigation: ” We are facing justice because Kony committed violations against the Central African population. But this is what we are lacking, what we are asking of the government, because there has been no political will to support the Central African victims. », he reports on the microphone of François Mazet.
“We must also talk about Central African victims”
Due to a lack of political will, the victims believe that prosecutor Karim Khan can take it upon himself and attach their complaint, filed last year, to the procedure on the crimes committed in Uganda: “ If we talk exclusively about victims from Uganda, we must also talk about victims from the Central African Republic because we are in an association. The Central African victims’ complaint is before the ICC prosecutor. It can also self-seize for Central African victims and compensation for victims. Central African. »
The prosecutor’s office therefore hopes to be able to hold hearings against Joseph Kony in his absence. But for compensation, a conviction and a trial would be required which cannot take place in absentia. The hopes of Central African victims are therefore very slim.
Of the five LRA leaders targeted by ICC warrants in 2005, three have died, and Joseph Kony is still considered at large.
Read alsoCentral African Republic: victims of Joseph Kony ask the ICC to extend charges against the leader of the LRA to their country