The world is watching this week as the International Criminal Court (ICC) moves forward with the trial proceedings for Dominic Ongwen, former top commander of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Of course, everyone here at Invisible Children is watching, too.
For some context, Ongwen was abducted by the LRA as a young boy in 1990 while on his way to school. Over the next 25 years, he rose through the LRA ranks quickly, promoted by Kony himself, and became a Major around the age of 18 and a Brigadier in his late 20s. Over time, Ongwen became known, inside and outside of LRA ranks, for his boldness on the battlefield and for carrying out extremely violent attacks against civilians. In 2005, the ICC issued indictments against Ongwen and four other top LRA commanders (including Kony) on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the crime of enslavement, which made Ongwen the first person ever to be charged by the court for committing the same crime of which he was also a victim.
former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen at the ICC
In early January 2015, Ongwen reportedly surrendered to U.S. and African forces in Central African Republic (CAR) and was later transferred into the custody of the ICC to await trial.
Today begins the five-day “confirmation of charges” hearings, during which ICC judges will determine whether or not prosecutors have enough evidence to try Ongwen for each of the 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity filed against him.
As thousands around the world follow Ongwen’s trial this week, and as we continue working toward a permanent end to Kony’s violence and justice for LRA-affected communities, our CEO, Lisa Dougan, wanted to share a few thoughts:
This week, as we follow the ICC trial of Dominic Ongwen, it is important to recognize how remarkable it is that Ongwen was removed from the battlefield alive, seemingly by voluntary surrender. That, alone, is a victory which should be celebrated. Whether Ongwen should have been indicted by the ICC in the first place, relative to other LRA commanders who joined the rebellion voluntarily and have since received amnesty, continues to be debated by many in Uganda and internationally. Either way, Ongwen’s trial can and should be a significant opportunity for the victims and survivors of LRA violence to be heard by the international community.
Ongwen himself is a victim of LRA violence, as much as he is a perpetrator. He seems to embody the most extreme injustices of the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict. He was abducted and conscripted into Joseph Kony’s rebel ranks as a child, the victim of both Kony’s violence and a government that unequivocally failed to protect its own people. And after years of being forced to commit violence against civilians as a means of his own survival, he, at some point it seems, became a leader and voluntary perpetrator of terrible violence against many people, including children. Ongwen’s trial, and the extreme example of his story, should serve as an opportunity for the international community — with LRA-affected communities playing a central role — to thoughtfully, humbly, and rigorously engage the question of what true justice looks like in these victim-perpetrator scenarios; because those scenarios are actually all around us in varying degrees. I hope we all rise to the occasion.
Lastly, in light of ongoing LRA violence in Central Africa, it’s extremely important to highlight that Ongwen’s trial will likely be followed via radio by LRA commanders and fighters in the bush, including Kony himself. News that Ongwen, even as an ICC indictee, is still alive and is being treated fairly could be a significant catalyst for the peaceful defection of other LRA commanders who do not have an indictment over their heads. In situations just like this, I’m so proud of our Invisible Children staff in DR Congo and Central African Republic who continue to work together with community FM radio partners and local journalists to broadcast “Come Home” messages that help combat Kony’s fear-based propaganda and encourage LRA fighters to peacefully leave the battlefield. Additionally, former LRA combatants and affected communities alike face extreme challenges in recovering from decades of violence and trauma. We will continue to implement programs and call on policymakers for additional resources to support the psychosocial recovery and reintegration of former LRA combatants and captives, and to strengthen the resilience of communities targeted by LRA violence and other armed groups in the region. Your committed support has enabled us to carry on this very important work that is peacefully dismantling the LRA from within and supporting the lasting healing of families and children who have suffered far too long from Kony’s violence.
From all of us at Invisible Children: thank you. Stop at nothing.
CONSIDER DONATING TO INVISIBLE CHILDREN TODAY, AND ENABLE US TO BROADCAST NEW “COME HOME” MESSAGES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AFRICA THAT COULD FINALLY CONVINCE KONY’S FIGHTERS TO LAY DOWN THEIR GUNS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
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