Uganda rebels seek amnesty
2004-07-09 20:25
Kampala - Seven senior Uganda's Lord's Resistant Army (LRA) rebel commanders who surrendered to the army in the last two months in the north have sought amnesty from the government, an official said on Friday.
"They applied for amnesty on Thursday and we have started processing their applications, which that will take them through stages," Uganda Amnesty Commission's (UAC) Thomas Kisembo said.
The stages include "applying for amnesty, renouncing rebellion, disarmament and getting an amnesty certificate," explained Kisembo, who is also a Roman Catholic cleric.
In January 2000, the government passed a law granting blanket amnesty to all rebel fighters who voluntarily surrender, in a move designed to weaken the 18-year-old rebellion.
At least 200 junior LRA fighters have surrendered in the last two months and have already made their applications, according to the army.
On Wednesday, the Ugandan army paraded the seven LRA commanders to showcase the army's gaining the upper hand on the rebels.
The LRA has been fighting Museveni's secular government since 1988 ostensibly to replace it with one based on the biblical Ten Commandments.
But the rebel group has gained infamy for atrocities committed against civilians and for abducting young children and forcing the boys to fight in rebel ranks and girls to serve as sex slaves to rebel commanders.