Ugandan rebel commander appears before ICC court
A top Ugandan rebel commander accused of war crimes has appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen, who made his first appearance in the court on Monday, faces seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
During the pre-trial hearing, presided by Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova, he was asked to authenticate his identity.
"My name is Dominic Ongwen and I am a Ugandan citizen... I was abducted in 1988 and I was taken to the bush when I was 14 years old," he said in his native dialect Acholi. "Prior to my arrival at court I was a soldier in the LRA," he added, speaking through an interpreter.
Trendafilova announced the date of August 24 for his next appearance, during which it will be determined if he should go to trial.
The court session was held as the group's notorious leader, Joseph Kony, yet remains at large with no credible information on his whereabouts.
The White Ant
Known as the White Ant, Ongwen, rose through the LRA ranks to become one of the five senior LRA commanders who the global court indicted in 2005.
All of his charges, which include murder and enslavement, relate to a 2004 attack on a camp for internally displaced persons in Uganda.
In late December, the 34-year-old defected from the LRA and gave himself up to the Seleka rebels who control northern and eastern parts of the Central African Republic.
Lord's Resistance Army
The LRA revolted against northern Uganda’s government in the late 1980s and has been accused of the abduction of children and using them as sex slaves and fighters
After earning a reputation for carrying out bloody massacres and mutilating victims, the LRA left Uganda some ten years ago and has ever since eluded capture and defeat as it roams across parts of Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and CAR.
The LRA is responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 people and more than 60,000 child kidnappings during a 30-year-long campaign in five Central African countries.
Rights groups
Some Human rights groups have said the fact that Ongwen himself was abducted as a child should be factored by the court.
But Victor Ochen, who spent almost 20 years fleeing the LRA, said the White Ant’s victims demand and deserve justice.
"Those without noses, lips or faces want Dominic Ongwen tried as a senior commander in the LRA, not as a former child soldier," he told AFP.
SRK/NT/AS
Manhunt underway in South Africa after nine killed in mass shooting
Jeffrey Epstein, the African connection
Benin's armed forces foil coup attempt against President Talon: Authorities
Israel to ‘permanently’ arm 10,000 reserve forces after al-Aqsa Flood lessons: Report
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
VIDEO | No war for oil: Londoners protest US bullying Venezuela
VIDEO | French MP demands inquiry into arms sales to Israel
Iran-EAEU coop. paves way for 'powerful region': President Pezeshkian
VIDEO | Iranians celebrate Yalda Night nationwide
US in 'pursuit' of third Venezuelan oil tanker in Caribbean piracy series
Trump administration denies Epstein cover-up as censorship sparks fury
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
