Amnesty and international law: the case of the Lord\'s resistance army insurgents in Northern Uganda

Analysis of the Armed Conflict: A Case Study of Lord’s Resistance Army

“…Social inclusion and exclusion within Ugandan society were predominantly determined by the existing ethnic system, a legacy that predated the establishment of an independent Uganda and remained unresolved. This social dynamic perpetuated divisions within the country, exacerbating tensions and contributing to the ongoing conflict (Apuuli, 2005, p 37; Jackson, 2002, pp 35-37).…”

The International Criminal Court and African Conflicts: The Case of Uganda

“…Leaving aside this debate and notwithstanding the alleged crimes, owing to a number of factors, including in particular the failure of government forces to defeat the rebellion militarily, the Ugandan Government introduced an amnesty Bill in parliament in 1999, which was passed as an Act in 2000 (Hovil and Lomo 2005, Apuuli 2005, Allen 2006, pp. 74-78, Branch 2007.…”

“…In it the organisation expressed its dismay at this news, noting that the government of Uganda did not have any authority to offer 'protection' to any person charged by the ICC and that even the latter would have 'no power to revoke arrest warrants on grounds that it might assist political negotiations to end the armed conflict' (AI 4 August 2006, emphasis added). Others have insisted on the criminal prosecution of the rebellion's top leadership which has been responsible and directed the crimes, but seem ready to accept a pardon for the children who were abducted and conscripted in the LRA movement (Apuuli 2005(Apuuli , p. 49, 2006.…”

Amnesty on trial: impunity, accountability, and the norms of international law

“…The Uganda Amnesty Act, passed in 2000, guaranteed relief from all domestic prosecution for anyone*LRA member or UPDF soldier*who had committed any criminal act in association with LRA activities, on the condition that the perpetrator make a formal (and largely pro forma) admission to an amnesty commission and renounce any further violence. 7 By 2006, with the agricultural base of Northern Uganda in shambles, and the LRA extending their attacks beyond Acholiland, a new round of peace negotiations opened in Juba, Sudan between representatives of the LRA and the Museveni government. 8 Opening those talks, President Museveni reaffirmed his generally tepid commitment to the terms of the 2000 Amnesty Act and offered various guarantees of Kony's safety, including an explicit promise personally to shield Kony from any possible international prosecution*to offer him a full and unconditional amnesty for acts that constituted international crimes.…”