International court: Arrest LRA leader

KAMPALA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Court has called for the arrest of the founder of the Lord's Resistance Army, which ravaged Uganda for years.

Luis Moreno Ocampo, the court's chief prosecutor, said in a brief released in October that the LRA is regrouping and is committing atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Kampala newspaper, New Vision, reported. Ocampo called for the arrest of Joseph Kony, the LRA founder, and three of his top lieutenants.

"Those warrants must be executed. There is no excuse. There is no tension between peace and justice in Uganda: arrest the sought criminals today and you will have peace and justice tomorrow. Victims deserve both," Ocampo said.

Ocampo said Kony is trying to "blackmail" officials by threatening violence unless the arrest warrants are withdrawn.

Kony, who claimed to be fighting to establish a government based on the Ten Commandments, was indicted in 2005 on 33 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes. They included murder, rape, sexual enslavement and forced recruitment of child soldiers.