War crimes court drops case against ex-LRA commander after his reported death

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court said on Friday it had ended proceedings against Vincent Otti, the former deputy head of the notorious Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), as it believed he had died.

Otti was facing 32 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, rape, forced enlistment of children, cruel treatment and pillaging.

But deserters from the LRA said as early as 2007 that LRA leader Joseph Kony had executed Otti, who had been instrumental in peace talks.

The court said it agreed with prosecutors that all available evidence indicated "that Mr Otti was killed in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of Congo in October 2007".

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said last year he wanted to revive a case against Kony, a fugitive who is also accused of more than 30 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Kony led the LRA as it terrorized Ugandans for nearly 20 years and battled the government of President Yoweri Museveni from bases in northern Uganda and neighbouring countries. In recent years it has largely been wiped out.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Andrew Heavens)