Despite several unconfirmed reports indicating that Mr
, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Deputy Commander-in- Chief was executed, the International Criminal Court (ICC) insists that the arrest warrant issued against him is still active.
In July 8, 2005, the ICC issued arrest warrants against five of the top LRA commanders including the LRA’s Chief, Mr Joseph Kony.
However, The Hague based court dropped its arrest warrant against Mr Raska Lukwiya and recently against Mr Okot Odhiambo after forensic investigations indicated that the duo has since died.
Mr Jimmy Otim, the ICC Field Outreach Assistant for Uganda said, “The arrest warrant against the former deputy LRA rebel’s commander, Vincent Otti, still stands in spite of reports that he is dead.”
Addressing journalists at Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) in Gulu town on Wednesday, Otim, said they treat such reports as rumours.
Otim stressed that, “Until all the processes of investigation and confirmation into his death have been followed and judges are satisfied with the results, ICC will not withdraw the case against Otti.”
ICC insists that there will be no time frame when the arrest warrant against Otti and ICC is not intending to drop it.
According to ICC, unless forensic investigations are done like in the case of Raska Lukwiya and Odhiambo, the arrest warrant on LRA’s second in command is still active and valid.
Otti is alleged to have faced a firing squad after being tied on a tree stump outside Kony’s defence in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
There are reports that Kony killed Otti after they disagreed over the failed 2006 Juba Peace Talks on the October 2, 2007.
Otti faces 33 counts of crimes against humanity in violation of the Rome Statute.
The arrest warrant for Lukwiya was dropped when it was confirmed that he had died in July 2006 during battle with the government forces.
Out the five LRA commanders wanted on war crimes and crimes against humanity, it is only Mr Dominic Ongwen who has been taken into custody at the ICC after he defected early this year.
Ongwen is facing seven charges for his role in abduction, enslavement and sexual slavery.
On successful conviction, he is liable to face between 30 years or life in jail.
LRA is blamed for widespread atrocities in Uganda, South Sudan, DRC and the Central African Republic (CAR).
Almost all the rebels in the Lord’s Resistance Army were abducted as children and were forced to carry out atrocities on their own communities.
