The International Criminal Court (ICC) has mandated that nearly 50,000 victims of Dominic Ongwen, a former commander of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), are to receive over 52 million euros ($56 million) in compensation.
The ruling, handed down by ICC judges on Wednesday, marks the largest reparations order issued by the court to date.
Recording to reports, Dominic Ongwen, once a child soldier himself, ascended to a prominent position within the ranks of the LRA, perpetrating numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, murder, and child abduction.
Despite being sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2021, Ongwen lacks the means to provide financial compensation directly to the victims.
Therefore, the ICC judges have called upon the tribunal’s own Trust Fund for Victims to assist in covering the substantial reparations. The compensation package includes a symbolic individual payment of 750 euros per victim, alongside collective reparations such as rehabilitation programs and memorial sites.
The LRA, under the leadership of fugitive warlord Joseph Kony, unleashed terror upon Ugandans for nearly two decades, operating from bases in northern Uganda and neighboring territories.
Although the militia has been significantly weakened, Joseph Kony remains one of the ICC’s most wanted fugitives.
Reflecting on the ruling, Louis Lakor, a survivor of LRA atrocities, stressed the inherent challenge of compensating for the profound trauma inflicted by the rebel group.
Lakor, who was abducted as a child, recounted the brutal murder of his parents and the coercion to commit unspeakable acts, highlighting the enduring scars borne by victims, both visible and invisible.
The scope of the atrocities committed by the LRA encompasses attacks on refugee camps, the abduction of women and children forced into servitude as soldiers or sex slaves and the untold suffering endured by countless families.
With an estimated total of almost 50,000 victims, the ICC judges determined the reparations sum to be 52.4 million euros, underscoring the gravity of the crimes perpetrated.
Despite the monumental nature of the reparations order, the judges cautioned that the execution of payments may be protracted, and there are concerns regarding the Trust Fund for Victims’ ability to secure adequate funding.
