• Fri. Apr 19th, 2024

Ex Ugandan Rebel Commander Convicted of War Crimes at the ICC

Ex-Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen has been convicted of war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

Ex Rebel Commander Dominic Ongwen

Thursday’s historic ruling also saw him convicted of forced pregnancy – a legal first in an international court. 

Ongwen, a feared commander of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), is the first member of the LRA to appear before the court.

International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, at the opening of Trial in the case against Dominic Ongwen

He was convicted on 61 of the 70 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes he faced. 

The charges relate to attacks on four camps for internally displaced people in Uganda in 2004. More than 4,000 victims provided testimony in the ICC case.

Ongwen’s sentence is to be handed down at a later date. He could face life imprisonment.

BBC