Ongwen feared Kony would kill him, says lawyer

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Appearing before The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday, Mr Ongwen through his lawyers, testified that he was threatened with death if he escaped from rebel activities and that the same could be extended to his family and village people

Kampala.

Former commander of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels has said he participated in the two-decade armed rebellion in northern Uganda because he feared to be killed by his leader Joseph Kony.

Appearing before The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday, Mr Ongwen through his lawyers, testified that he was threatened with death if he escaped from rebel activities and that the same could be extended to his family and village people.

“In his words, he said he feared escaping because he risked being killed and that after him, they would extend the wrath to his family and then village-mates. Any of the alleged acts were done to protect my people against harm,” said Mr Ongwen’s lawyer
While defending himself on the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, the ex-child soldier told court that his trial before the ICC is a violation of the international laws and his human rights because he was abducted as a child at the age of nine and a half years.

Mr Ongwen, the former commander of the LRA sinia brigade and one of the five top LRA commanders who were indicted over alleged crimes against humanity in May 2005, is charged with 70 counts, the largest number of counts in the court.
Others are Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya and Okot Odhiambo.

Conscripted
At the pre-trial proceedings for confirmation of charges, Mr Ongwen asked the court to exclude the criminal liabilities against him arguing that he was forced into rebel activities and acted under duress.

He also asked court to scrutinise the charges to avoid him being criminalised more than once on similar offences since the prosecution failed to execute its duty of proving its case.

On December 21, 2015, Mr Ongwen was charged with a total of 70 crimes in addition to those set out in the warrant of arrest.
The additional charges related to attacks on the Pajule Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camp, Odek IDP camp and Abok IDP camp.

The counts brought against Mr Ongwen in the context of the attacks include attacks against the civilian population, murder, attempted murder, torture, cruel treatment, other inhumane acts, enslavement, outrages upon personal dignity, pillaging, destruction of property, and persecution.

The expanded charges against Mr Ongwen also include sexual and gender-based crimes committed from 2002 to 2005 in Sinia Brigade, forced marriage, rape, torture, sexual slavery, and enslavement – and the conscription and use of children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities from 2002 to 2005, in Sinia Brigade.