Victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) brutality are threatening to sue the Uganda government in the ICC over none compensation.
By Priscilla Nadunga Gulu
According to Mr. Odongo James who was carried away into captivity at the age of 8 by the rebels, he wants compensation because the Uganda government was not responsible enough to protecting its citizens and their properties, as the constitution mandates them.
Odongo says he was taken into captivity be the LRA rebels with his entire family, and upon his return back home, he can’t trace anything that belonged to his family. “What would you do, when you are forced into captivity by the rebels, were all your family members are killed at the hands of merciless rebels? I have been deprived of my education, lost my properties and relatives, and the government is not bothered”
UPDF reacts
The Uganda army through its 4th Division spokesman, Capt. Mugisha Peter says the people have the right to sue government in case of any grievances. “Let them sue the government, we as the army tried our best to protect our citizens but we could not be everywhere at every moment”.
The Uganda army through its 4th Division spokesman, Capt. Mugisha Peter says the people have the right to sue government in case of any grievances. “Let them sue the government, we as the army tried our best to protect our citizens but we could not be everywhere at every moment”.
“What I know is that the government will defend itself and the courts will decide who is right or wrong, but the issue of taking their government to the ICC is not the best, because we have here competent courts of law that can ably handle this matter conclusively” Capt. Mugisha says.
But defiant Odongo insists that given the many times the government has promised to compensate them and failed they have lost trust and faith in the Ugandan system because it under the same leadership that can end up manipulating the process to favour their interests.
“We are dragging them to ICC like they did to LRA, in fact we are now looking for a good lawyer who can ably represent us” Odongo adds.
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