Interpol push for Uganda arrests

Ugandans civilians live in fear of rebel attacks

Interpol has issued wanted persons notices for five Ugandan war crimes suspects on behalf of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The five include Joseph Kony, the leader of Uganda's feared rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

The notices are the first issued by the international police agency for the ICC, which has no police of its own.

The Hague court was set up in 2002 to prosecute war crimes suspects if member-states fail to act themselves.

A statement by Interpol said its wanted persons notices were "based on arrest warrants issued by the ICC for the men, who are all members of the Lord's Resistance Army".

The five were indicted by the court last year on charges including murder, rape and forcibly enlisting children.

Child soldiers

The so-called red notices were sent to 184 countries and come after the ICC issued arrest warrants to Uganda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005.

Profile: Joseph Kony

Correspondents say that although Interpol's wanted persons notices are not arrest warrants, most governments will act on them to detain suspects.

The LRA has abducted thousands of children and forced them to fight since the conflict in the north began two decades ago.

Mr Kony is believed to be in southern Sudan, where he recently met the region's Vice-President Riek Machar.

The other four suspects were identified as Raska Lukwiya, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen.

Tens of thousands of people have died and two million have been displaced during the 20-year conflict between the LRA and the Ugandan government.