UGANDA/FILE: ICC prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo talks about human rights abuses in Africa

Record ID: 345751

  • Title: UGANDA/FILE: ICC prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo talks about human rights abuses in Africa
  • Date: 4th June 2010
  • Summary: KAMPALA, UGANDA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) PROSECUTOR, LUIS MORENO OCAMPO, TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) PROSECUTOR, LUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "I will not apologise to be in Africa. On the contrary I am very proud to be in Africa. Because for centuries, Africa received attacks from people from outside, countries from outside. But in the 90's, the situation was different. Africa was ignored -- inaction was the problem. There were millions of victims in Africa, and they were ignored, there were other priorities. The world ignored, and did nothing to stop the genocide in Rwanda. The world ignored the Congo war, 4 million people died. The world let Somalia go to chaos, and that was a problem. I would not have brought this experience in my court , that's why we are caring about the victims in Darfur, in Congo, in Uganda, in central Africa Republic, and now in Kenya. We will do justice for them." OCAMPO BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) PROSECUTOR, LUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "In two months 1300 people were killed, more than 3000 wounded, at least 1000 women raped, and probably 10,000, and 400,000 people displaced. If this is small, I don't know what is big." JOURNALIST INTERVIEWING OCAMPO (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) PROSECUTOR, LUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "No! I don't care. Look, he is indicted, he is a fugitive, he can not go to countries, members of the Roman statute... He is starting to face justice. It's simple." INTERVIEW IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) PROSECUTOR, LUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "The problem is that Joseph Kony is a run-away militia, so I don 't think arresting is a police operation's required, it's a special force operation and Congo was not able to do it in those moments. So I hope that we can galvanise efforts to implement a special force to arrest Joseph Kony in the near future." INTERVIEW IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) PROSECUTOR, LUIS MORENO OCAMPO, SAYING: "I feel Africa is changing completely. Me, it's interesting because the western journalism is not capturing the contradictions and the fight in Africa to change."
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA4GE2PAZGSG9KVBR4YPIR1S7RR
  • Story Text: International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said that the ICC is pursuing African leaders wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that the Hague is launching new strategies to capture all indicted suspects.
    Ocampo spoke to Reuters -- on the sidelines of a landmark 10-day review conference of the statute of the ICC in Kampala -- where he commented on the status of the cases under investigation.
    High on Ocampo's list is Sudan's president Omar Al-Bashir -- Africa's first sitting President -- who is indicted by the ICC for war crimes and genocide, but is yet to be arrested.
    Former Liberian President Charles Taylor was also indicted by the United Nations special court for Sierra Leone in 2001. He was arrested 5 years later and is currently facing trial in the Hague on war crime charges.
    Although some have criticised Ocampo for only pursuing African leaders, he maintains that he is pursing justice for victims of injustice.
    "I will not apologise to be in Africa. On the contrary I am very proud to be in Africa. Because for centuries, Africa received attacks from people from outside, countries from outside. But in the 90's, the situation was different. Africa was ignored -- inaction was the problem. There were millions of victims in Africa, and they were ignored, there were other priorities. The world ignored, and did nothing to stop the genocide in Rwanda. The world ignored the Congo war, 4 million people died. The world let Somalia go to chaos, and that was a problem. I would not have brought this experience in my court , that's why we are caring about the victims in Darfur, in Congo, in Uganda, in central Africa Republic, and now in Kenya. We will do justice for them," he said.
    Ocampo also commented on the investigations of the 2007 Kenyan post-election crisis, and said that at least two charges will be pressed against some Kenyan leaders by the end of the year.
    Violence erupted in the East African country in December 2007, following disputed elections between president Mwai Kibaki and opposition Raila Odinga.
    "In two months 1300 people were killed, more than 3000 wounded, at least 1000 women raped, and probably 10,000, and 400,000 people displaced. If this is small, I don't know what is big," he said.
    When asked about Bashir's case, he said that although he was recently re-elected in Sudan's elections, it is only a matter of time before he will be arrested.
    "He is indicted, he is a fugitive, he can not go to countries, members of the Roman statute... He is starting to face justice. It's simple, Ocampo said.
    On the question of the elusive Joseph Kony -- leader of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) -- who leads a rebel group notorious for killing, mutilating and abducting thousands of civilians in Northern Uganda, as well as DR Congo, Central Africa Republic and Sudan, Ocampo said special forces need to be deployed to capture the rebels.
    "The problem is that Joseph Kony is a run-away militia, so I don 't think arresting is a police operation's required, it's a special force operation and Congo was not able to do it in those moments. So I hope that we can galvanise efforts to implement a special force to arrest Joseph Kony in the near future," Ocampo said.
    The LRA launched its rebellion in 1986, accusing Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni of oppressing the northern Acholi people.
    Kony claims he was fighting for their rights.
    But his tactics of kidnapping recruits, mutilating and killing civilians alienated supporters, and left tens of thousands dead with two million fleeing.
    Although the ICC has the political will from Uganda, DR Congo and the Central Africa Republic to execute warrants against Kony and his commanders, they have had difficulties to implement it, and will have to come up with new strategies.
    Ocampo said he is optimistic on the progress that Africa has made in the pursuit of justice.
    "I feel Africa is changing completely. Me, it's interesting because the western journalism is not capturing the contradictions and the fight in Africa to change."
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