The Global Criminal Justice Rewards Program at the U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million to individuals who provide information that leads to the arrest, transfer, or conviction of Joseph Kony.
As commander in chief of the Lord’s Resistance Army, Kony is wanted for mass killings, torture, and forcing children to become soldiers in Africa, explained Beth Van Schaack, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice.
“He's wanted by the International Criminal Court for both war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in northern Uganda. ... We are very interested in information that might lead to his capture or transfer to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, pursuant to an arrest warrant that was issued in 2005.”
Ambassador Van Schaack stressed that Kony will “get a fair trial before the International Criminal Court.”
“That court is governed by the highest of due process protections under international human rights law. He will be entitled to counsel. If he does not have the resources to hire a defense counsel, he will be provided counsel free of charge,” she said.
The reward offer for Kony is up to $5 million, but there are several factors that determine how the reward amount is calculated, said Ambassador Van Schaack.
“So first, we look at the amount of risk that the tipster took. We look at the strength of the evidence, and how relevant and consequential it was in terms of bringing this individual to justice. We consider what it would take to make that individual safe if they were an insider, for example, or a member of Joseph Kony's group. They may need to relocate themselves. And so, we would make sure that the reward amount was commensurate with the person's needs. And most importantly, it's extremely important that the individual cooperate with local law enforcement. This is not a program where we're expecting individuals to bring the fugitive to The Hague.”
If anyone has information about Joseph Kony, please contact the Global Criminal Justice Rewards Program via text message, SMS, or WhatsApp on +1-202-975-5468 or via email at GCJRP@State.gov. You can also bring information to the nearest U.S. Embassy or any U.S. Government official. All information will be kept strictly confidential.