LRA walks out on Uganda peace talks
Opposition leave talks, while world war crimes court says their arrest warrants remain.
LRA representatives, who have walked out on negotiations before, could not be reached for comment.
The three men are required to be handed over to the ICC immediately after capture or surrender, as per international law.
The LRA is accused of carrying out attacks against civilians, in some cases by burning them or hacking off their limbs.
In 2005, the ICC indicted the leaders for killing, sexual abuse, looting and child abduction, mainly from the Acholi people in northern Uganda.
‘Harming talks’
The LRA said the ICC was harming efforts to reach a peace agreement in talks mediated by southern Sudan’s semi-autonomous government.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the 21-year conflict.
“Going to the ICC will mean that Uganda’s judiciary is non-functional,” David Nyekorach-Matsanga, LRA’s chief negotiator, said on Thursday.
“We strongly appeal to the ICC to consider that the people have suffered very much in northern Uganda and withdraw those indictments so that peace can return,” he said.
The ICC said it was also concerned over allegations of continued killings by the LRA in southern Sudan, which the fighters deny.
The international court was set up in 2002 to bring prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Three Congolese armed opposition leaders are currently awaiting trial at the ICC, which has also issued arrest warrants over accusations of war crimes in Darfur.