Sudan to hand Kony over to UN
By Emmy Allio
KAMPALA, Mar 27, 2004 (New Vision) — IF rebel leader Joseph Kony escapes into the Sudan People Armed Forces (SPAF) territory, he will be arrested and handed over to Uganda or the United Nations under a protocol signed between Sudan and Uganda.
The army commander, Maj. Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, said the protocol does not allow the pursuit of Kony rebels beyond what is termed as the red-line into Sudan government-held territory.
Under the terms of the ceasefire between the Sudan government and SPLA rebels, the red-line is the boundary between their forces. UPDF is operating in the SPLA-held territory.
“There will be no pursuit of the rebels beyond the red-line. It has been agreed that hunting Kony beyond the red-line was the responsibility of the Sudan People’s Armed Forces (SPAF). So if Kony escapes there, he will be arrested by the Sudan government to be handed to Uganda or the United Nations,” Aronda said on Wednesday.
Asked about Sudan’s commitment to the protocol, Aronda said, “They (Sudan) have nothing to do other than grabbing the criminals. Once captured, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will then charge the killer of the people of
northern Uganda. Sudan has no choice but to grab and hand-over the listed terrorist.”
He said the Kony rebels had no other source of arms, but were still in possession of arms, which Sudan had given them.
He said, “When Sudan used to support and arm the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, it is unfortunate that they armed them massively. The rebels stored some of the arms. We have captured most of these arms and now their arms have been reduced significantly.”
In a recent interview, the SPLA-appointed governor of Equatoria, Samuel Abu-John said Sudan still arms the LRA. Aronda also saw a clear link between Kony and Osama bin Laden.
He said in 1996 when Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan, there was evidence of a farm Osama owned in southern Sudan along the banks of River Nile.
But USA prevailed over Sudan to expel him.
“The methods of work including suicide bombings are the same for the LRA, Irish Republican Army (IRA), Al Qaeda, ADF or Hamas.
“These are terrorists who believe in killing innocent civilians in order to shake the will of the interior forces,” he said.