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A former commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebellion, is again before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. From today and all this week, the judges of the ICC will hear his arguments and those of his defense, before deciding whether he can appeal his conviction.
Dominic Ongwen, sentenced last year to 25 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity, appealed. Recognized guilty of 61 charges, including that of rape, sexual slavery, enlistment of children, this former child soldier believes he is also a victim.
For the defense, there is no doubt about that. Abducted at the age of 9 on the way to school, abused, indoctrinated, he too experienced trauma before becoming a child soldier.
« The appeal that is presented is that of a child who was brought up in very harsh circumstances. A child whom the Ugandan government and the international community failed to save from the evil grip of the LRA for almost 25 years. A child reduced to slavery and forced labor “explains one of his lawyers, Krispus Ayena Odongo.
The defense also highlights the spiritual aspect of the LRA, the psychological hold of its leader Joseph Kony over his troops.
A responsible adult for the charge
Procedural, factual and legal errors were made, insists the defense for whom the International Criminal Court wanted to make Ongwen an example. He is the only fighter of this rebellion to have been judged.
Opposite, the victims’ lawyers retort: Ongwen was no longer a child at the material time. He was a good soldier, who rose in the ranks of the rebellion, an adult, with all his mental faculties, legally responsible for the crimes he committed. ” Despite what you just heard from the defence, this case is not just about Mr. Ongwen. His criminal responsibility, the crimes he committed when he was an adult, legally responsible, this is also the call of all his victims “, develops Meritxell Regue, at the prosecutor’s office.
He was sentenced fairly, insists the prosecutor’s team, which highlights the three-year trial, the 179 testimonies and 5,000 documents presented.
All this week, the two parties will develop their arguments.
The judges will then decide whether an appeal trial can take place.