The spokesperson of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Felix Kulayije has indicated that Uganda government kindness in supplying Ugandan rebels of Lords Resistance Army (LRA) with life sustaining essentials like food and medicine in the recent botched peace talks between the government of Uganda and LRA is the cause of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) president Dr. Olara Otuunu outbursts.
Dr. Olara Otuunu
The UPC president recently appealed to the ICC to indict Uganda President Museveni and investigate the Ugandan Army for alleged war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and aggression for Northern Uganda over 20 year LRA insurgency.
The UPDF spokesman says Otunnu can be forgiven for his outbursts because of being far away from the activities of the LRA.
Otunnu who has won several major awards including the German Africa Prize in 2002 and the Sydney Peace prize 2005 for his humanitarian work has been outside Uganda for over 20 years until recently when he returned to contest for the UPC presidency. A trained lawyer, Otunnu has been based in the USA serving as a Ugandan diplomat, an undersecretary for Children Affairs in the United Nations, a scholar and a child rights activist.
However, the chief prosecutor of the ICC Luis Moreno-Ocampo said the ICC has no mandate to investigate politically instigated cases like those of Otunnu.