Ugandan victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have waited over a decade to see the group’s leadership held accountable for crimes committed during the armed conflict with Uganda’s government. They saw it happen last week, when former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen appeared in court for an important hearing at the International Criminal Court.
“It was a moment of joy to see justice implemented against an LRA commander,” said one woman from the village of Ajuro, in Kaberamaido district. “I want compensation from the government for failing to protect my husband when he was killed.”
The confirmation of charges hearing will determine whether there is sufficient evidence against Ongwen to move his case to trial. A former child soldier turned ruthless warlord, Ongwen is charged with 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, torture, pillaging, conscription of child soldiers, and sexual and gender-based crimes, which he allegedly committed between 2003 and 2005 in the internally displaced camps of Pajule, Lukodi, Odek, and Abok in northern Uganda. Over 2,000 victims have successfully applied to participate in the proceedings.
ICTJ held a live telecast of the hearing in Kampala, along with a public dialogue for members of the media and civil society. The dialogue provided an opportunity for journalists and civil society workers to learn more about the ICC proceedings, which are a crucial step towards ending impunity and providing justice to victims of atrocities committed by the LRA. Criminal trials offer an opportunity to establish an accurate account of the nature of the conflict, the protagonists, and the crimes that were committed.
A telecast of the proceedings was also organized by the ICC outreach office in Gulu, Pajule, Lukodi, Abok and Odek, where members of the affected community watched intently as the ICC prosecutor described the unspeakable crimes perpetrated by the LRA and the nature of Ongwen’s involvement in such attacks.
The demeanor of Ongwen during the proceedings elicited mixed reactions from those watching the telecast. Dressed smartly in a grey pinstriped suit, a cream shirt, and a grey tie, some individuals found it difficult to reconcile the well-groomed man they saw on screen with the ruthless killer that they knew.
“We are looking at two different men… looking at a man that destroyed your life smartly dressed in a suit is disturbing, it would be more satisfying if he was left in a rebel suit,” said Claire Keiketo, who attended ICTJ’s telecast.
While most victims are glad to see Ongwen in the dock, there is a section of Ugandan society that is opposed to his prosecution by the ICC. The Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative argues that Ongwen should be subjected to traditional justice processes that are indigenous to the Acholi people.
A former abductee of the LRA also calls for Ongwen to be forgiven. “I want Mr. Ongwen to be forgiven as some of us the rebel abductees have been forgiven because the Bible says we should forgive,” said George William Ecodu.
While the prosecution of LRA leaders most responsible for atrocities committed by the group is a crucial step towards obtaining justice, more needs to be done to deliver meaningful justice to victims. To date, the government of Uganda has failed to initiate measures that offer relief and redress to victims of the conflict. Most continue to live with the trauma of the violations that they suffered and have no access to psychosocial support.
As one victim said after watching the telecast: “They killed my husband and left me with nine orphans. Now he is in an air conditioned court, smartly dressed, while I am suffering.”
In addition to national prosecutions, the Ugandan government should expedite the adoption and implementation of the National Transitional Justice Policy, which provides for the establishment of truth-seeking processes, reparations programs, and other traditional justice measures to unearth the legacy of gross human rights abuses and provide redress to victims of mass atrocities.
PHOTO: Former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen appears in an ICC courtroom for his confirmation of charges hearing on January 21, 2016. (ICC-CPI/Flickr)
