Ongwen gets 60 new charges

Kampala.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), sitting in The Hague, has widened the scope of its investigations into attrocities committed by top Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen.

The international court amended its charge sheet to include 60 fresh charges to add on the initial seven charges that were approved.

Mr Ongwen, a commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), was earlier charged with four war crimes and three crimes against humanity, including murder and enslavement.

During a presentation at Soroti Lukiiko Hall on Saturday, Mr Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation division of ICC at The Hague, said the ICC carefully came up with additional 60 charges after it amended the charge sheet.

This followed the recently investigated attrocities that are said to have been committed by Mr Ongwen in northern Uganda.
“It was found that he (Ongwen) had also committed more atrocities in places like Pejule, Lukodi and Aboke,” Mr Mochochoko said.

The charges relate to sexually molesting girls, recruiting and using children into rebel activities, pillaging and destroying of property among others.

According to Mr Mochochoko, the ICC prosecutor, Ms Fatou Bensouda, has set January 21 for hearing Mr Ongwen’s case.
His trial will be the first time a member of the LRA has faced international justice.

The proceedings shall be relayed live from The Hague so that people and the victims can be able to follow.
He said Mr Ongwen’s lawyers wanted his prosecution delayed arguing that they needed appropriate time, but this was not granted.

On having Mr Ongwen tried here he said: “Ugandans should accept that having proceedings done here shall be more expensive.”

In the event that Ongwen fails to win the case, Mr Mochochoko said the ICC willprovide reparation benefits to the Ugandan victims especially those of Northern region through the transfer committees.

Teso leaders react
Mr David Oumo, a member of Global Care said: “Our worry is that the people of Teso equally suffered and were killed at the hands of LRA but how come ICC is saying the victims here shall not benefit from reparation that would be given by ICC”.

Mr George William Okwaput, the programme manager- Action Against Child Abuse and Neglect (AACAN), said he helped 1,283 children in 2003 – 2004 who were once in captivity at the hands of LRA to return back to their parents. He noted that ICC should advocate for such children so that they can also benefit from any kind of assistance.

However, in his response, Mr Mochochoko still challenged the people of Teso to provide sufficient evidence to ICC against Ongwen so that their claims of attrocities can be added on to the charge sheet.

Soroti Resident District Commissioner John Stephen Ekoom closed the consultation meeting with a call on the ICC not to delay justice for the people of Uganda adding that the public is waiting for the court proceeding by January 21 next year.

About ongwens
Mr Ongwen, a feared LRA commander, was arrested after surrendering in the Central African Republic in October last year. He is accused of committing attrocities against civilians in Uganda and in parts of Central African Republic, South Sudan and DR Congo.The LRA rebellion began more than two decades ago in northern Uganda and it is estimated 200-500 fighters - many of them child soldiers - have since terrorised large swathes of central Africa.