A section of Acholi leaders have for the first time met former Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commander Dominic Ongwen at a Dutch detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands.
The ICC’s Outreach field Coordinator for Uganda and Kenya Ms Maria Mabinty Kamara said in statement today that representatives selected from Northern Uganda who attended the opening of Ongwen’s trial from December 6-8 had the ‘‘unique’’ opportunity to visit the former LRA commander.
Kamara revealed that the representatives who were drawn from cultural, religious and civil society also met with the ICC prosecutor, officials from the registry, Presidency, chambers and interacted with Ongwen’s defence team.
Mr Ongwen is facing 70 charges of war crimes and crimes against Humanity he allegedly committed in the displacement camps of Lukodi, Abok, Pajule and Abok in Northern Uganda.
Since his capture and consequent detention at The Hague based ICC in January 2015, no leader from Acholi Sub region or his close relatives had met him.
The ten representatives who met Ongwen were led by his highness the Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II accompanied by Gulu Arch Diocese Arch Bishop John Baptist Odama.
Their visit to attend Ongwen’s opening trial, arranged by ICC with support from the Danish Embassy is aimed at instilling confidence among the victims in the affected communities on the ICC Judicial processes.
In a statement issued by the Acholi leaders, they said the case of Ongwen remains important to them because it is a milestone in securing justice and accountability for the people of northern Uganda.
They noted that as representatives of various groups and interests in Acholi Sub region, the nature of crimes omitted in Northern Uganda violated the traditional, Ugandan and international law and therefore warranted action against perpetrators in terms of securing justice for victims and holding them accountable.
The delegation departs The Hague for Uganda today.
Wife and children to Visit Ongwen
Yesterday, Ongwen’s lead lawyer Krispus Ayena Odongo, revealed that the former LRA commander’s wife and two children will also visit him at the The Hague detention center after ICC accepted a request from Ongwen.
According to Odongo, the paper work for their travel would be ready by January next year.
Ongwen, a child soldier turned warlord on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to the 70 counts of charges slapped against him.
