The trial warlord and the first-ever commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group to appear before the International Criminal Court is ongoing in the Hague.
Dominic Ongwen is facing 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including attacks against the civilian population, murder, attempted murder, torture, cruel treatment, other inhumane acts, enslavement, outrages upon personal dignity, pillaging, destruction of property, and persecution.
Others are sexual and gender-based crimes committed from 2002 to 2005 in Sinia Brigade - forced marriage, rape, torture, sexual slavery, and enslavement - and the conscription and use of children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities from 2002 to 2005, in Sinia Brigade. Ongwen denied all charges when the trial commenced in December last year.
Ongwen appeared before the same court on 6 December and pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, the ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the court that the evidence shows him as a "murderer and a rapist.”
According to the ICC calendar, the trial will run for the next fifteen days and adjourn on February 3rd after hearing presentations from prosecution, defense counsels and the war victims.
Over these fifteen days, Prosecution led by Bensouda, are expected to call expert witnesses and victims to pin the accused for some of the 70 confirmed counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
At least 4,107 victims have been admitted to participate in the case. Ongwen 41, is the first former child soldier to be charged by the court in The Hague.
He was only 10 years old when he was abducted and conscripted by the LRA.
