Mao wants Museveni probed over northern war killings

Kampala
Democratic Party president Norbert Mao has asked the International Criminal Court [ICC] to investigate President Museveni over the northern Uganda war killings.

The developments come a day after the newly-elected Uganda People’s Congress president, Mr Olara Otunnu, called for an independent inquiry into the killings in Luweero during Mr Museveni’s fight against the UPC government between 1981 and 1985.

The Youth Right, a human rights assembly under the Inter Party Cooperation, also last month petitioned the ICC to investigate the September 2009 riots that left at least 27 people dead.
Mr Mao said; “The ICC should investigate President Museveni over the two-decades war and its atrocities. It’s not enough to investigate the Lord’s Resistance Army [LRA] when Mr Museveni is the man who has been giving orders as the commander-in-chief.”

He was speaking during a press conference in Kampala on Tuesday.
“We should not allow any acts of impunity to prevail in this country. We shall not shut our eyes to any wrong character. The ICC should not let us down,” Mr Mao said.

Civilian protection
But the Senior Presidential Advisor on media, Mr John Nagenda, criticised Mr Mao’s demands saying that he should realise that the President was protecting Ugandans to fight the rebels in northern Uganda.

“He should not make irresponsible statements. It’s as if he is putting President Museveni and Kony at the same level,” Mr Nagenda said yesterday.

In October 2005, the ICC indicted LRA leader Joseph Kony and top lieutenants for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, Mr Mao on Monday lost a travelling bag, a laptop, two flash disks and mobile phones after unknown people broke into his car at Nakasero, a Kampala suburb.