Survivors of the May 2004 Lukodi Massacre have welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold the pre-trial proceedings against Dominic Ongwen, a former senior commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
Ongwen is the former Commander of the Sinia Brigade of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). He is facing 3 counts of crimes against humanity and 4 counts of war crimes. He is suspected to have committed the crime on or about 20 May 2004 at the Lukodi IDP Camp in Gulu District.
Earlier, the ICC was contemplating flying Ongwen to Uganda for confirmation of charges hearing against him.
The confirmation of charges hearing is a pre-trial held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to commit the case for trial before a Trial Chamber.
Remijo Opoka, 56, a survivor who lost two sons during the rebel attack in Lukodi said he is not concerned about where the proceedings will take place, but about justice for those who lost lives and survived the gruesome attack.
Opoka said victims want to be part of the pre-trial since it offers them relief to see an alleged tormentor facing the law.
Jeremiah Bongojane Muttu II, the Rwot of Patiko Clan also believes that it is justice other than where the trial will take place which is important.
“My subjects at Lukodi are asking for justice. They are not asking for something strange,” he said.
Vincent Oyet, a survivor of the attack, said some of the survivors should travel to The Netherlands and witness the proceedings against Ongwen.
But Jimmy Otim, the ICC Field Outreach assistant for Uganda said not all survivors can be taken to The Hague due to logistical reasons.
On Wednesday, the Presidency of the court decided to conduct the confirmation of charges against Ongwen at The Hague.
Fadi El Abdallah, the Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit at the ICC explained that the Presidency made the decision citing next year’s general elections in Uganda.
Article 3(3) of the Rome Statute, which established ICC allows the court to sit anywhere it considers desirable to hear a case or cases before it.
On September 10, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II recommended to the Court’s Presidency that holding the confirmation of charges hearing in Uganda would be desirable and in the interests of justice.
Ongwen was among the five top LRA commanders indicted by the ICC in 2005 for the killings of 54 civilians in Lukodi Internally Displaced People’s camp in Bungatira Sub-county in Gulu District in April, 2004.
The Head of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division (JCCD) at the court, Phakiso Mochochoko told journalist in Gulu early this year that the court was looking into other cases where Ongwen is believed to have participated while he was still an active rebel.
In 2005, it issued arrest warrant for elusive LRA leader Joseph Kony, Dominic Ognwen and Okot Odhiambo. Others Raska Lukwiya and Vincent Otti have since died.
Ongwen is the only one of the indicted LRA leader to so far appear before the ICC.
ICC accuses the LRA top leaders of war crimes, crimes against humanity, abduction, rape and slavery.
