Surrendered LRA officer says he didn’t want to die in bush

In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 and released by the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), Ugandan Contingent Commander to the African Union Regional Task Force Col Michael Kabango, left, talks with a man in UPDF custody said by the UPDF to be the wanted Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen, right, in the Central African Republic. Central African Republic's Seleka rebels, who once overthrew the government, say they're entitled to a $5 million reward from the U.S. government because they say they captured and handed over the wanted international war crimes suspect Dominic Ongwen to American forces. (AP Photo/Uganda People's Defence Force, Mugisha Richard) In this photo taken Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015 and released by the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), Ugandan Contingent Commander to the African Union Regional Task Force Col Michael Kabango, left, talks with a man in UPDF custody said by the UPDF to be the wanted Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen, right, in the Central African Republic. Central African Republic's Seleka rebels, who once overthrew the government, say they're entitled to a $5 million reward from the U.S. government because they say they captured and handed over the wanted international war crimes suspect Dominic Ongwen to American forces. (AP Photo/Uganda People's Defence Force, Mugisha Richard)

By Associated Press January 19, 2015 1 min read

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) – Lord’s Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen says he surrendered to stand trial for war crimes because he did not want to “die in the bush.”

Ongwen, a top leader of Joseph Kony’s notorious LRA, was taken into custody in early January. He was one of five LRA commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court and now only Kony remains at large. The three others have died.

In his first words since his surrender, Ongwen explained why he turned himself in to the ICC.

Ongwen said he “decided to follow the right path and listen to the calling of the ICC.” Ongwen spoke in the Acholi language, on a video taken by the Ugandan army who held him before he was turned over the ICC.