Okot Odhiambo
Encyclopedia
Okot Odhiambo is a senior leader of the Lord's Resistance Army
, a Uganda
n rebel group which operates from Garamba National Park
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. Odhiambo was one of five people for whom the International Criminal Court
(ICC) issued its first ever arrest warrants in July 2005, for alleged war crime
s and crimes against humanity
. On 29 January 2009, he announced his intention to defect from the LRA and return to Uganda if the government would agree not to surrender him to the ICC.
He is also known as Two Victor, his radio call sign
.
in October 2007.
According to the ICC warrant for his arrest, Odhiambo is described by former LRA commanders and members as a "ruthless killer", as "the one who killed the most", and as "a ‘bitter’ man who will kill anyone". He is reported to have led a number of massacres, including one at a camp for internally displaced person
s in Barlonyo
in February 2004, during which more than 300 people were burnt, shot and hacked to death.
In April 2008, it was reported that Odhiambo and eight others had been killed by LRA leader Joseph Kony
during a dispute over a proposed peace deal.
the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity
. The prosecution alleges that Odhiambo commanded attacks against two IDP
camps in 2004, during which civilians were killed and children were abducted. Odhiambo was charged with three counts of crimes against humanity (murder
and enslavement) and seven counts of war crimes (murder, intentionally directing attacks against civilian populations, pillaging, and forced enlisting of children
) in connection with the two attacks.
, "We have requested a safe corridor. I want to come out. I am tired of going up and down all the time." He contacted the International Organization for Migration
seeking safe passage to Uganda, along with 45 other rebels and 10 abductees, but said he would not surrender unless he was given a guarantee that he would not be turned over to the ICC. The government of Uganda has indicated that it would try Odhiambo in a national court rather than surrender him to the ICC.
The Catholic Archbishop of Gulu, John Baptist Odama, said the defection could revive hopes of a peaceful end to the conflict. However, Amnesty International
criticized the International Organization for Migration for agreeing to facilitate Odhiambo's transfer to Uganda instead of to the ICC.
An LRA spokesman dismissed the reports of Odhiambo's planned defection, claiming the story was invented by the Ugandan army "to create disharmony and danger to LRA fighters".
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, a Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n rebel group which operates from Garamba National Park
Garamba National Park
Garamba National Park, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, was established in 1938. One of Africa's oldest National parks, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Garamba is the home to the world's last known wild population of Northern White Rhinoceros...
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. Odhiambo was one of five people for whom the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(ICC) issued its first ever arrest warrants in July 2005, for alleged war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s and crimes against humanity
Crime against humanity
Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, "are particularly odious offenses in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings...
. On 29 January 2009, he announced his intention to defect from the LRA and return to Uganda if the government would agree not to surrender him to the ICC.
He is also known as Two Victor, his radio call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
.
Lord's Resistance Army
Odhiambo was reported to be the LRA's Deputy Army Commander and a member of the "Control Altar", the core leadership group responsible for devising and implementing LRA strategy. He is believed to have become deputy leader of the LRA following the death of Vincent OttiVincent Otti
Vincent Otti was deputy-leader of the Lord's Resistance Army , a rebel guerrilla army operating mainly in northern Uganda and southern Sudan. He was one of the five persons for whom the International Criminal Court issued its first arrest warrants on 8 July 2005...
in October 2007.
According to the ICC warrant for his arrest, Odhiambo is described by former LRA commanders and members as a "ruthless killer", as "the one who killed the most", and as "a ‘bitter’ man who will kill anyone". He is reported to have led a number of massacres, including one at a camp for internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s in Barlonyo
Barlonyo
Barlonyo is a village housing an Internally Displaced Person camp in northern Uganda near Lira town, where a number of internally displaced people from parts of northern Uganda lived, as a result of a 20-year LRA insurgency. It is located in Orit Parish, at the North -eastern end of Ogur...
in February 2004, during which more than 300 people were burnt, shot and hacked to death.
In April 2008, it was reported that Odhiambo and eight others had been killed by LRA leader Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony is an African terrorist who is the head of the Lord's Resistance Army , a guerrilla group that is engaged in a violent campaign to establish theocratic government based on the Ten Commandments in Uganda...
during a dispute over a proposed peace deal.
International Criminal Court indictment
On 8 July 2005, Odhiambo was one of five LRA commanders for whom the ICC issued its first ever arrest warrants. The court ruled that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Odhiambo had orderedCommand responsibility
Command responsibility, sometimes referred to as the Yamashita standard or the Medina standard, and also known as superior responsibility, is the doctrine of hierarchical accountability in cases of war crimes....
the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity
Crime against humanity
Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, "are particularly odious offenses in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings...
. The prosecution alleges that Odhiambo commanded attacks against two IDP
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
camps in 2004, during which civilians were killed and children were abducted. Odhiambo was charged with three counts of crimes against humanity (murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and enslavement) and seven counts of war crimes (murder, intentionally directing attacks against civilian populations, pillaging, and forced enlisting of children
Military use of children
The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities , or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, look outs, and sexual slaves; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in...
) in connection with the two attacks.
Defection from the LRA
On 29 January 2009, Odhiambo said he had suffered a serious gunshot wound during a clash with Ugandan forces and was defecting from the LRA. He told Agence France-PresseAgence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
, "We have requested a safe corridor. I want to come out. I am tired of going up and down all the time." He contacted the International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....
seeking safe passage to Uganda, along with 45 other rebels and 10 abductees, but said he would not surrender unless he was given a guarantee that he would not be turned over to the ICC. The government of Uganda has indicated that it would try Odhiambo in a national court rather than surrender him to the ICC.
The Catholic Archbishop of Gulu, John Baptist Odama, said the defection could revive hopes of a peaceful end to the conflict. However, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
criticized the International Organization for Migration for agreeing to facilitate Odhiambo's transfer to Uganda instead of to the ICC.
An LRA spokesman dismissed the reports of Odhiambo's planned defection, claiming the story was invented by the Ugandan army "to create disharmony and danger to LRA fighters".
External links
- The Prosecutor v. Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen — International Criminal Court documents
- Okot Odhiambo — Trial Watch website
- Wanted: Odhiambo, Okot — INTERPOL noticeInterpol noticeAn Interpol notice or international notice is issued by Interpol to share information between its members. There are seven types, six of which are known by their colour codes: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, Orange....
requesting his arrest