A victim showing the name of his family member who was killed during Lukodi massacre. Photos by Walter Okot
By Walter Okot, Brian Komakech
Gulu: Victims of the former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel commander Dominic Ongwen, have welcomed a Euro 52.4 million (Approximately shs222bn) collective community-based compensation order issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a reparations decision on Wednesday, the Judges at the Trial Chamber IX set the financial liability of Ongwen to EUR 52,429,000 and ordered collective community-based reparations focused on rehabilitation and symbolic/satisfaction measures.
Ongwen was convicted by the ICC to a 25-year jail term in 2021 for a total of 61 crimes comprising crimes against humanity and war crimes, committed in Northern Uganda between July 1, 2002 and December 31, 2005.
Presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt, who read the reparations order noted that the compensation will consist of collective rehabilitation programs, as well as a symbolic award of EURO 750 for all eligible victims, and other community symbolic measures.
The judge explained that the Chamber estimated the number of potentially eligible direct and indirect victims to be approximately 49,772.
In determining the cost of reparation, the judges noted that the direct, indirect, and entire community victims of Ongwen’s attacks suffered long-lasting physical, moral, material, community, and transgressional harm.
Sigh of Relief
In Lukodi village, Gulu District, thousands of miles away from The Hague, Netherlands where the reparation order was read, hundreds of victims who watched the proceeding had a sigh of relief.
Lukodi village is among other three IDP camps; namely, Pajule in Pader District, Odek in Omoro District, and Abok in Oyam District where Dominic Ongwen, former commander of the LRA’s Sinia brigade led attacks on the civilian population. 69 people were massacred in Lukodi during the May 19, 2004 raid.
Rose Abbo, 74 years, a resident of Lalweny B village in Lukodi, Bungatira sub-county who lost her husband lauded the judges for the landmark reparation decisions.
Expedite Reparation Process
Abbo however noted that the process of reparation be expedited to help her, a widow, to buy land since she has no one to support her.
“ICC should speed up the process of compensation, this was long overdue. We have been waiting for compensation for a long time due to the prolonged trials of Ongwen; now that he is convicted and the court ruled in our favor, they should compensate us immediately”, Abbo said.
Abbo said since the gruesome murder of her husband, she has had challenges feeding and paying her children’s school fees as her brothers-in-law have taken all plots of land from her.
Julius Oluba, 75, another victim of Ongwen’s atrocities, lost his sons during the infamous raid in Lukodi IDP. He equally welcomed the reparation orders but noted that the court should explain clearly how the victims will be compensated and how much each victim is supposed to get.
“I am pleased that the judgment is made in our favor, however, I fear that the compensation may be delayed as most of us who are old may die without getting the compensation”, Oluba said.
Oluba claimed several victims who were old died due to the hard lives they went through, and without seeing any justice.
The presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt however noted yesterday that it will take time before any payments are distributed to the victims and that not all victims would receive the symbolic amount at the same time.
The judge explained that payments would be issued depending on the victims’ urgent needs and vulnerability and the capacity of the Trust Funds for Victims (TFV) to complement the award.
Maria Mabinty Kamara, the International Criminal Court Outreach officer for Uganda also divulged that implantation order of the reparation will be presented to the judges by TFV to determine who receives the funds first.
Compensation should be Individual
Bob Okello Assisi, the Local Council Chairperson II of Punena and Lukome parishes in Bungatira Sub-county, who was shot in the right leg during the LRA attack, however, said he was not pleased with collective community-based compensation of the victims.
“The court should give all the money to individual victims so that they can use it to improve their lives and empower their families.
This issue of providing rehabilitation will not support the victims, especially those who died during the attack or in the course of abduction in the bush, but if the money is given individually, it will support their family”, he told GNNA in an interview Wednesday.
Ongwen Unable to Compensate Victims
During the reparation decision, the Chamber found Ongwen to be poor to do reparations and encouraged the TFV to complement the reparation awards.
The Chamber has also since instructed the TFV to submit a draft plan for the implementation of the rehabilitation and symbolic measures for the Chamber’s approval by September 3, 2024.
About Ongwen
Ongwen is the first out of the five top LRA commanders indicted by the ICC in 2005 to have been captured, tried, and sentenced for committing war crimes against Humanity in Northern Uganda.
He is currently serving his jail sentence in Norway.
Others indicted include Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odhiambo, and Vincent Otti whose warrants have been dropped by the ICC following confirmation of their death.
LRA fugitive leader, Joseph Kony, currently remains the most wanted and faces 36 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed between July 1, 2002, and 31 December 2005 in northern Uganda.
In 2023, the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, sought permission from the Trial Chamber IX judges to reawaken the case against Kony and hold a hearing to confirm charges, nearly 18 years after an arrest warrant was issued.
