A Lord's Resistance Army commander captured at the weekend is eligible to apply for amnesty, a Ugandan government legal adviser said on Tuesday, but a United Nations official said Caesar Achellam should face justice for the group's brutality.
The Ugandan army's capture of Achellam, one of the LRA's top five members, raised hopes it is closer to catching Joseph Kony, the rebel leader accused of war crimes for his group's near three-decade campaign of child abductions, rape and mutilation.
The international manhunt for Kony was thrust back into the spotlight in March after a video "Kony 2012" went viral on the Internet and was watched by almost 90 million people.
Nathan Twinomugisha, the chief legal adviser to the Uganda Amnesty Commission, said Achellam, once considered one of Kony's most trusted lieutenants, could seek a pardon under the east African country's amnesty law.
"There's absolutely nothing that prevents Achellam from being considered for amnesty. He's eligible," Twinomugisha told Reuters.
The U.N. Secretary-General's representative for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy said on Monday: "I am encouraged by the capture of one of the worst perpetrators of child rights violations and hope the Ugandan authorities would not apply amnesty but instead bring him to justice."
Uganda's military said it ambushed Achellam on Saturday. But the fact that he was with his wife and daughter and armed only with an automatic rifle and eight rounds of ammunition has prompted speculation in Uganda that he may have defected and cut a deal with the army.
"We will have to discuss with the director of public prosecutions but the law favours him and as soon as he applies we'll promptly consider his case," Twinomugisha said. While considered one of the LRA's commanders, Achellam is not among those facing international war crimes charges.
Uganda's army said Achellam's capture brought it a step closer to snaring Kony, an operation boosted last year by the deployment of about 100 U.S. special forces to help track him down.
Kony, however, is a master of evasion and the hunt covers an area the size of California in dense equatorial jungle spanning several countries.
It remains unclear how close Achellam was to Kony in recent times. Kony has kidnapped tens of thousands of children to fill the ranks of the LRA or use as sex slaves as he moves through the bush. Thousands have been killed by his army.
The self-styled mystic was once intent on ruling Uganda by the biblical Ten Commandments. His combatants are now estimated to number about 200. Since Uganda passed its Amnesty Act in 2000, some 13,000 former LRA fighters have been pardoned, Twinomugisha said, including those captured in battle.
Achellam, a Major General within the LRA's internally respected military structure, would be the highest-ranking rebel to be granted amnesty.
The government, though, has appeared reluctant to forgive some senior combatants, including Thomas Kwoyelo, who was seized in Congo in 2009 and remains imprisoned waiting for the government to hear his amnesty request.
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" MY BROTHERS AGAIN ,HERE WE HAVE AN OPPORUTNITY TO EXPAND OUR AFRICAN TRADITIONS EXPANDING ON OUR IDENTITYU AND THINKING OF GENUINELY ENRICHING THE THOUGHT OF PUTTING IN PRACTISE "THE AFRICAN COURTS OF JUSTICE"WHITH NO CONNECTION OR IDENTIFIABLE IMAGERY OF WESTERN NONESNESE MOCKERY MISJUSTICE NO JUSTICE AND HATE MONEGRING WITH DEATH AS A PRECURSOR. "OUR ELDERS HAVE LONG SINCE ADOPTED THE PRINCIPLE OF FORGIVENES AND THAT THE PROTAGONIST SHOULD MAKE RECOMPENSE TO THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS WHY "AFRICAN JUSTICE IS MUCH MORE HUMANE AN DEMOCRATIC . FROM THE EYES OF THE ELDERS THE LAWS WE SEE ARE THE SAME LAWS THAT ARE ALSO MAINFEST IN SHARIA LAWS AND BIBLICAL LAWS. THIS IS WHY I SAY TO AFRICA THE TRUTH IS NOT KNOWN TO AFRICANS.THE WEST WANTS AFRICA TO ADAPT THEIR WAY OF THINKING THEY WANT US TO BE RULED BY VENGEANCE AND BLOODLUST WHICH THE AFRICANS ARE, WERE FAR ERMOVED FROM THESE MEASURES. IF WE ARE TO LISTEN TO WESTERN LEADERS THE AFRICAN KNOWS NOT OF ANYTHING. THE FIRST ERROR EUROPEANS HAVE IS TO THINK THEY CAME INTO AFRICA AND DISCOVERED ANYTHING ; IE: STANLEY DISCOVERED THE ZAMBEZI OR THE EUROPEANS WERE THE FIRST TO CHART A WAY THROUGH TO THE NORTH OF AFRICA AS THE BUSH WAS OS DENSE THEY COULD NT FIND THEIR WAY TO AND OVER THE SAHARA. ALL THESE FOOLISH BRAINWASHING RIDDICULOUS NOSENSICAL MISLEADING DISCRIMINATORY HATEFUL LIES ARE THE LESSONS THAT WERE TAUGHT TO ALL CHILDREEN IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEMS . SO THESE ARE THE LYNCHPINS BEING DRAFTED BY WESTERN GOVERNMENTS IN THEIR APPROACH IN DEALINGS OSTENSIBLY WITH AFRICAN PEOPLE. THIS IS WHY THEY SPEAK ABOUT THE SUB CONTINENT THIS GOES OFF THE IDEOLOGY THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE "SUB REGION" NEVER KNEW THEIR WAY TO THE NORTHAND IT NEVER EXISTED UNTIL THE EUROPEANS CAME INTO AFRICA; THEY WERE OS SAVAGE AND SO DAFT THAT ONLY THE WHITE MAN WITH HIS BRTAIN POWER AND HIS DISCOVERIES MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR AFRICANS TO EVEN LIVE. MY BROTHERS THESE ARE THE STORIES THAT HAS BEEN CIRCULATING IN WESTREN EDUCATIONBAL SYSTEMS FOR EVER. THE MISLEADING UNTRUTHS THE HYPOCRISY THE LIES IS UNBELIIEVEABLE. THE REALITY IS HOW MUCH THEY HAVE DECIMATED AFRICAN CULTURE TO CREATE A PEOPLE IN THEIR IMAGE ; THIS IS WHY THEY HAVE INVITED US TO TAKE JESUS AS GOD . FIRTS HE WAS A MAN BRON OF FLESH AND BONE AND WE COULD IN OUR EARLIER TRADITIONS REJECTED THIS. WHY? NOT BECUAE WE WERE STUPID OR SAVAGE OR BELIEVED IN VOODOO WE WERE A PAOPLE THAT IDEOLOGICALLY MOST OF ALL AFRICA WAS MONOTHEIST IN BELIEF. WE 'VE HAD THE "ALL MIGHTY GOD" SO ENTERNCHED IN ORU BELIEF SYSTEM THAT IT WAS NATURAL FOR AFRICANS TO LIVE RIGHETOUSLY. I WILL SAY THAT OF COURSE THEIR WAS TRANSGRESSION BUT VERY SLIGHT. WHEN WE WERE FORCED TO ADAPT CHRISTIANITY WITH A WHITE JESUS AS OUR GOD IT DID NOT BODE VERY WELL WITH THE MASSES THIS WAS FORCED UPON US AFTRE MANY CENTURIES. IT STOOD UP TO STIFF RESISTANTS. AFRICANS LIVED THE QUARAAN THE HOLY BIBLE; THESE WERE LESSONS THAT WERE INGRAINED IN THE AFRICAN PSYCETHIS WAS WHY WE DID NOT HAVE PRISONS AND LIVED THIS REVENGEFULL HATEFULDESTRUCTIVE LIFESTYLES. FIRST AND FOREMOST WE DID NOT SUPPORT SODOMY WE DID NOT SUPPORT CORRUPTION THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO MURDERS. THERE WAS ALWAYS A NATIONAAL SYSTEM OF KINGS QUEENS ELDEERS AND SO ON WHICH ISSTILL APPROPRIATE TO DAY. MY POINT IS THAT THE DEMOCRATIC SYTEM WAS IN PLACE ALWAYS. THEB PEOPLE WERE THE DICIDERS OF WHAT VEER THE POSITION THE THE KING OR TH ELDERS TOOK THESE PEOPLE WERE THERE TO GUIDE AND TRANSLATE THE LAWS SHOULD THE NED OF INTERPRETATION. WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IS ALOT OF SCAMING BY THE WEST THEY HAVE ALL THESE LAWS YET THEY DO NOT ABIDE BY ANY OF THEM ITS JUST THERE TO CONFUSE TIS REPLACED WITH COUNTER LAWS THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT ETC IT IS JUST MANIFESTLY RUBBISH. WHAT WE HAVE HAD IN AFRICA FOR HUNDERDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS HAVE BEEN STEADFAST RESILLIENT AND AHS KEPT OPRDER FOR AS I SAID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS. CONTRARY TO WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT. THIS IS WHY I SAY TO AFRICA LET US BUILD OUR OWN IDENTIFIABLY TRUE AND RIGHETOUSS COURTSYSTEMS JUSTICE THAT WILL BE MORE THAN FAIR. THIS IS WHY THE MODERN AFRICAN HAS INSISTED THAT SHARIA B IMPLIMENTED INTO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IT IS NOT ARELUIGIOUS LAW THAT TYHOUGHT IT IS STRONG FOR THOSE WHO ARE ORTHODOX AND STAND FIRM TO ALL THE ISLAMIC ADHERENST WHAT SHARIA DOES IS MAINTAIN A SURE GUIDELINE OF ALL LAWS IT IS NOT RIDDLED WITH CONFUSIONS IT IS PLAIN OVERSTANDABLE WHER NO AMBIGUITY CAN BE FOUND. IT STANDS FIRM AGAINS ANY CORRUPTION ANY CONTRAVERSY THAT IS ALIEN TO WHAT THE ORIGIBNAL SCRUPTS FROM THE "ALL MIGHTY GOD" HAD LAID OUT.THESE LAWS ARE PERFECT IN ITS AUTHORITY AS I SAID IT DOES NOT MIS LEAD AND ONE THING IS SURE IF WE WERE TO VISIT EVERY ELDER WHO CAN RELATE TO ANCIENT LAWS FORM THEIR INDIVIDUAL MEBER STATES THEY WILL SHOW THAT IT IS WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE AND ALSO WAHT WAS WRITTEN IN TEH QUARAN. WHAT I WILL USE AS A ARGUMENT WHEN THE ZIONIST WENT INTO ETHIOPIA TO AIRLIFT THE FALASHAS OUT OF ETHIOPIA TO ISRAEL THEY DID THIS FOR SURE ; IT WAS THEIR INTERPRETATION THAT NO BLACK PEOPLE WER JEWS AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THE WRITTEN TORAH SO THEY COULD NOT BE JEWS. WHAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT THE WRITTEN WAS FOR THE GENTILES WHO ADAPTED THE PRACTICES OF WORSHIP AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. I HAVE MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT MATHEMATICS SCIENCE WERE NOT TAUGHT WITH PEN AND PA[PER ADAM WAS TAUGHT VERBALY AND HE WAS TAUGHT TO MEMORISE ALL HIS LESSONS. THIS WAS THE TRADITION THRU OUT ALL AFRICA HENCE WHY WE SEE THE QUARAN BEING TAUGHT TO MEMORY ALL PRACTIONERS OF THE QUARAN MUST LEARN ALL ITS VERSES MENTALLY. SO THIS WAS WHY IN AFRICA SINCE THE PEOPLE WERE SO WELL DEVELOPED IN VERSE THEY LIVED BY THE WAYS OF RIGHETOUSNESS. THEIR TRADITIONS WERE SO LONG IN THE TOOTH IT COULD NOT BE EXTRACTED . IT TOOK THIS DEVILS THESE SATANIC PEOPLE WHOM NESLAVED AND UTTERLY DESTROYED OUR GROUNDATION THEY HAVE BEEN DESTROYING JERUSALEM FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THIS HAS BEEN THEIR OBJECTIVE FDROM THE VERY START THIS IS THEIR THIRD CRUSADE INTO AFRICA . BUSH WAS RIGHT THEY ARE SEEKING ANOTHER CRUSADE WHAT IS DIFFERNT IS THAT THEY HAVE JERUSALEM CAPTIVE THEY HAVE A WHOLE REGION OF AFRICA THAT THEY HAVE ALLIED THEMSELVES WITH TRAITORS AND THOSE WHO WERE INVADERS INTO AFRICA AND KNOWS NOT THE HISTORY OR THE TRUTH OF OUR GLORIOUS TRADITIONS. MANY OF THESE TRAITORS PROFESS TO BE WITH OUR CAUSE AND ARE OUR PEOPLE BUT WHEN THEY GET AROUND THE DEVILS THEY SAY WE WERE JUST MOCKING AND TALKING WE DONT MEAN A WORD WE SAY". THESE ARE THE BACK STABBERS THEY ARE DISLOYAL BECAUSE THEY SEEK AREWARD FROM TH DVIL TODAY AND THEY FORGET ABOUT TOMMRROW. WELL MY BELOVED BROTHERS AND SITERS IF YOUR HEART SAY TO YOU WE WANT TO MOVE ON AS WE DO BELIVE IN OUR HERE AFTER AND WE ARE RIGHETOUSS AND NOBLE PEOPLE THEN THIS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. DO NOT CHANGE AND BECOME FOLLOWERERS THSI WILL ONBLY LEAD TO MORE MISERY. CO NOT ALLOW THESE IDOLATORS BECAUSE THIS WHAT THEY ARE THEY PUT TRUSTIN THEIR MILITARY WEAPONS THEY SELL DEATH ROUND THE PLANET THEY INVESTED THEIR ENTIRE KNOWLEDGE ON DEATH . THEY AHVE NOTR FUTURE THEY HAVE NO SIGHT THEIR INTELLIGENCE IS UNBECOMING OF A HUMAN BEING. THEIR INTEREST IS TODECIVE MURDER SCHEME STEAL LIE MAKE MISCHIEF. THEY DO ALL THINGS UNDERHANDED THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE WRONG DOERS THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT WHAT THEY DO IS RIGHT. THEY HAVE MANY OF US CONFUSED THOSE OF US WHOM ARE SEL;FISH STUPID AND INSEARCH OF IMMORALITIES LOOSE LIFESTYLES CORRUPTION ENVY JEALOUSY HATE REVENGE THESE ARE WHAT THEY STRIV FOR WHEN THEY SLOSE SIGHT OF THE RIGHT PATH. THIS IS WHY IS CONTIUE TO MENTION TO YOU THAT YOU WERE ALREADY ON THE RIGHT PATH THAT IS WHY THERE IS SUCH A SUBSTANTIAL AMMOUNT OF WEALTH AND RICHES THT IS YOURS TO ACCESS IF THOU SHOULD STICK TO THE TRUTH AND WHAT WAS YOURS FROM BEFORE THEY CAME TO DISTURB DISHEVEL UNDERMINE DESTROY NEGATE ENSALVE REWRITE!!! THE THING FOR THE PEOPLE IN AFRICA IS TO RESUME AN IDENTITY THT WAS STOLEN WHEN I HEAR THEM TALKING ABOUT GREECE BEING THE BIRTH PLACE OF DEMOCRACVY WHO TAUGHT THEM THAT. THIS WORLD HAS BEEN IN FUNCTIONING UNINHIBITTED PROGRESSION FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YEASR AND SOME LITTLE CIVILIZATION THAT WA JUSRT BORN INFANTS IN TEH SENSE OF LONGEVITY, COULD BE THE MANIFEST TEACHERS OF DEMOCARCY THIS ONLY WISHFUL THINKING. SHOULD YOU READ THE BIBLE THT YOU HAVE MSIPRINTED AND REWRITTEN THEIR IS DEMOCRACY WRITTEN INTHEIR COVBERS SUCH IS THE TERACHINGS OF ISALM WHEN YOU PRACTISE RIGHETOUSNESS THEN YOU ARE APRACTIONER OF DEMOCRACY. DEMOCARCY IS WHAT THE PROPHETS FROM ALL THE RELIGIOS ATUGHT ITS JSUT THAT YOU CANT SEE THIS BECAUSE YOU KNWO NOT OF THE RIGHETOUSS TEACHINGS OF THER"ALL MIGHTY GOD". WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT "THE COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFULL THE PARDONER THE BENEVOLENT THE JUST" THESE ARE ALL ATRIBUTES OF THE "ALL MIGHTY GOD" AND THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THAT EVRY WORD THAT WE CAN THINK OF IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE "MOST HIGH" THESE ARE ALL DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES THAT WE ARE EXPECTED TO ASPIRE TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN HAVE THE RIGHT TO SIT BU THE SIDE OF THE "ALL MIGHTY" IN THAT GLORIOUS DAY" WE ARE PRACTIONERS OF DEMOCRACY THIS IS NOT A LESSON TO US. WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS THAT HYPOCRISY ;LIES DECIET MISJUSTICE IS WHAT YOU THE OPPRESSOR LIVES BY. THERE IS NOT A DY THAT GOES BY THAT YOU DONT ORDER MURDERS EN"MASSE" THERE IS NOT ONE SOLITARY DAY THAT YOU BREAK TO RECOGNISE ALL THE MARTYRED THE MURDERED THE SOULS WHOM HAVE BEEN LAID TO REST. ALL THESE MARTYRED ARE AT YOUR BEHEST. THI IS UNCONSCIONABLE YET THEY DO NOT SEE THIS BUT THEY WANT US TO BELIVE THEY ARE RIGHTEOUSS AND THEY ARE DOING US A FAVOUR BY GOING FTRE KONY BECUASE HE IS MORE VILE AND EVIL THATN THEY ARE. AGAIN THIS WISHFUL THINKING THEY ARE SO BLOOD THIRSTY THEY SELL WEAPONS CONTINUOUSLY THEY UPGRADE THEM IN THEIR POTENTIAL TO MURDER TAKE LIFE SO HOW COULD THIS LITTLE MAN SITTING INTHE BUSH EQUATE TO THEIR DOMINATION SOLE NPROPRIETY OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION THERE IS NO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS CAPABLE OF UNLEASHING SO MUCH DEATH AND DESTRUCTIONAS THESE PEOPLE ARE. LIKE I SAID THEY ARE MURDERING PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORDL THEY DONT TAKE A BREAK AND IN THEIR KILLING FELDS THEY ARE BLOOD THIRSTY THESE PEOPLE ARE A PHENOMENMON. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PREEXITED THEY ARE A FIRST IN ALL HISTORY. THESE ARE HOW WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE THE DAYS THAT HAVE BEEN REFERED TO. THEY HAVE AGIVEN THEIR SOULS TO SATN AS HE HAS NO OPTION BUT TO DESTROY LIVE FOR LUST ABOMINATIONS FILTHINESS SODOMY BEASTIALITY WHOREIMS SICKNESS DRUG ADDICTIONS THESE ARE WHAT THEY PROFESS TO BE THE RIGHT THINSG AND THESE ARE WHAT THEY WANT SU TO BECOME A PART OF. ROEM FELL GREECE FELL BECAUSE THEY SOUGHT AFTER ALL THESE ABOMINATIONS WE AWS GOMMOROH SODM FALL WITH A BITTER DESTRUCTION . WE KNOW THT THESE THINGSARE TRUE BECAUSE WE SAW FAMINE IN EAST AFRICA THEN WHENWWE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS BEYOND REPAIR WHEN WE TTHOUGHT WITH THEIR FORTECAST HOW DIFFICULT THINSG WOULD BE WE SAW THE RAINS REPLENIS THE EARTH AND THE CROPS BLOOMED WITH ASTONISHING EASE ;M WHY? THESE ARE THE TIMES FOR US TO RECOGNISE THAT WE KNOW THE TRUTH AND WE MUST NOT BECOME SUCKED INOT GENIE AND THE BOTTLE OR WE WILL TRULY FEEL WAHT IS IN STORE FOR THOSE WHO SAY THEY BELIVE BUT PRTACTISE WHAT WE SEE TO BE ABOMINATIONS AND INQUITY. WE SEE WITH OUR OWN EYES AND WE HEAR WITH ORU HEARS WHAT IT IS THEY SAY WITH THEIRN OWN MOUTH. THEY COME TO THINK THEY ARE TEACHING TYHEY ARE ONLY EXPOSING THEMSELVES DAILY. TRUST IN WHAT OUR HEART TELLS US THAT IS NOBLE, SHOULD THE PEOPLE HAVE SATISFIED THEMSELVES WITH AMNESTY THEN THAT IT IS. NO MANIS AT WAR WITH HIS CHILDREN AND HIS WIFE IN TOWE WITH 8 ROUNDS OF AMMO THAT JUST IS NOT SO IT DOES NOT HAPPEN. WE KNOW THE TRUTH DO NOT BE BULDOZED HOODWINKED TO FORGET THAT WE KNOW HWO ADMINISTER JUSTICE . THEY NEED TO GO AND SEEK THOSE TERRORIIST WHOM RAVAGED THE ECOMIES OF THE WORLDS BANKS AND ARE STILL DOING IT WITH IMPUNITY AND SAYING WITH FLOWERY WORDS THEY WRITE DOWN THEY ARE SORRY AND THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH AND THEY WANT TO COEM INTO AFRIC ANDTELL WHO IS A WICKED MAN. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE FAMILIES THEY DESTROYED ECCONOMICALY WHAT ABOUT THAT/FINACIAL TERRORISM IS WORST THAN DEATH IT IS TORTUER ON ITS OWN SO THEY NEED TO GET BACK TO THE WEST AND PUT SOEM F THESE INTERNATIONAL FINNCIAL TERRORIST ON TRIAL FOR THE WORLD TO SE THAT""