ICC’s President Judge visits Uganda

The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) justice Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi is set to jet into the country for a historic visit

What you need to know:

  • Her visit to Northern Uganda comes barely two months after the Registrar of the same court; Mr Herman Von Hebel had also visited Northern Uganda.

GULU. The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) justice Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi is set to jet into the country for a historic visit to Northern Uganda that was affected by Joseph Kony’s rebellion.
According to a statement released by the office of the ICC field outreach, justice Gurmendi’s visit is aimed at having first-hand experience of the activities of the victims affected by the two-decade war.
Ms Fernandez is expected to arrive in the country tomorrow (Thursday) at the invitation of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV). She is expected to stay in the country for one week.
Mr Jimmy Otim, the Assistant outreach filed coordinator of ICC further explained that justice Gurmendi’s visit will create an opportunity to generate awareness and support of the Rome Statute Act.

The ICC president is expected to visit war victims at Lukodi village in Bungatira Sub County, Gulu District, where 54 locals were massacred allegedly under the command of former Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commander Dominic Ongwen in May 2004.
Mr Ongwen is currently at ICC detention centre in The Netherlands facing 70 counts of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity he allegedly committed in northern Uganda during the insurgency.

Ms Fernandez will be accompanied by delegation of the Trust Fund for Victims who include Mr Motoo Noguchi, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Ms Mama Koite Doumbia, Member of the Board of Directors.
Her visit to Northern Uganda comes barely two months after the Registrar of the same court; Mr Herman Von Hebel had also visited Northern Uganda.
He among others visited Lukodi massacre site in Gulu where several civilians were killed by LRA rebels in internally displaced camp.