Ugandan LRA peace overture?

In October, the International Criminal Court issued long overdue indictments against the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army. Leaders of the LRA, one of the most notorious and sickening groups in the world, were charged with massive crimes against humanity. Such as organizing atrocities against civilians, including killings, enslavement, sexual enslavement, rapes, forced conscription of children and pillaging.

Some groups criticized the ICC's decision, the first indictments in the young court's history. These critics felt that the charges would hinder efforts to end the brutal civil war in the north of Uganda. They felt that the course of justice should've been subverted in order to pursue some vague and distant prospect of peace. The problem, of course, was that justice and peace are not separate, but intimately linked.

Amnesty for brutal rebel groups did not bring about peace in Sierra Leone. It has not ended brutality in Algeria. And it will not end widespread violence in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It would've been a mistake for the ICC to let justice be politicized and they were wrong to bring charges against these maniacs.

Despite concerns that the indictments would worsen prospects for peace, the opposite may have occured: it may have forced their hand. Earlier this week, the LRA's deputy commander called for peace talks with the government. The deputy commander said he was speaking on behalf of the LRA's leader, the fanatical Joseph Kony.

Interestingly, the deputy commander said that he would also be willing to go to the international court to face justice, adding that in his view, the government should also face justice for crimes committed in northern Uganda.

One certainly has every right to be skeptical of the LRA's call, given the horrors they've inflicted on countless civilians of northern Uganda. But if their call truly is serious, then it could be a positive sign for the region.

The indictments, however, should be maintained and the criminals forced to answer for what they did.