Statement on Dominic Ongwen's initial appearance before the ICC

Today, Dominic Ongwen, a senior commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court (ICC).  Ongwen is the first suspect in the Uganda Situation to appear before the Court. The ICC Prosecutor alleges that from 1 July 2002, during Uganda’s violent internal conflict, Ongwen committed four counts of war crimes (murder, cruel treatment of civilians, intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population and pillaging) and three counts of crimes against humanity (murder, enslavement and inhumane acts of inflicting serious bodily injury and suffering). During today’s initial court appearance, Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova verified Ongwen’s identity and informed him of the charges against him. Ongwen was represented by Duty Counsel Hélène Cisse.

The Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, its partners, members and associates in north and north eastern Uganda and the West Nile, as well as partners in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR), all countries affected by the activities of the LRA, welcome the historic start of the ICC’s first case in the Uganda Situation.

Read the full Statement by the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice.