US President Barack Obama signed into law
Tuesday an expansion of the United States' ability to offer cash
rewards for information that leads to the arrest of international
criminals wanted for human rights abuses.
The move seeks to help bring to justice those wanted by
international criminal tribunals for atrocities and also individuals
involved in transnational organized crime.
Joseph Kony and other leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army were
named as particular targets in Africa along with M23 rebels in the
Democratic Republic of Congo and the Democratic Forces for the
Liberation of Rwanda.
"We have made unmistakably clear that the United States is
committed to seeing war criminals and other perpetrators of
atrocities held accountable for their crimes, and today's legislation
can help us achieve that goal," Obama said in statement after signing
the measure into law.
It expands an existing programme under which the US government
offers rewards for information on terrorist suspects, war criminals
and others.
