Fatou Bensouda, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has paid tribute to civilians massacred during the conflict in northern Uganda. Most of the massacres are suspected to have been committed by rebels of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA).
Bensouda’s message was read yesterday at Lukodi where on May 19, 2014, the LRA massacred 45 civilians. The message was read by Paul Bradfield, a trial lawyer at the ICC.
The ICC prosecutor said painful memories and untold suffering endured by the people of Lukodi as a result of the unspeakable brutality of the LRA on that fateful day must not be forgotten.
The prosecutor observed that those who survived LRA brutality in northern Uganda remain shaken by the memories of the unimaginable atrocities inflicted on them and their communities.
The prosecutor assured the people of Lukodi and other places in northern Uganda where LRA are suspected to have committed serious crimes that no crime will go unpunished.
Former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen, is among others, facing trial at the ICC in The Hague for allegedly being responsible for the Lukodi massacre.
Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC concluded that there are substantial grounds to believe that Ongwen is responsible, for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Ongwen, the former Sinia brigade of the LRA faces 70 charges in relation to his participation while in the LRA.
The confirmed charges stem from crimes allegedly committed during attacks against in Pajule IDP (October 2003), Odek IDP (April 2004), Lukodi IDP (May 2004) and Abok IDP camps (June 2004), as well as sexual and gender-based crimes directly and indirectly committed by Dominic Ongwen in northern Uganda between July 1, 2002 and December 31, 2005.
The office of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested the judges to push the trial of Dominic Ongwen, the former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel commander to December this year.
The request was made on Wednesday this week before the Judges that have been appointed to try Ongwen.
