The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reportedly employed only one data clerk per district to handle the registration across 10 districts, this has raised fears of delays in documenting victims
The Pre-Trial Chamber III had, in an October 29, 2024 decision, concluded that all the requirements to hold the confirmation of hearing in the absence of Kony had been met. The hearing is scheduled for September 9 this year at the Hague-based Court in the Netherlands.
However, in an appeals judgement delivered by Presiding Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, the appeals chamber rejected 14 grounds of the appeal raised by Ongwen’s representative.
In a press statement released by the court Thursday, the court announced judgement on the appeal will be delivered in an open court room in The Hague Netherlands. Five judges will preside over the hearing of the judgement.
Omona told Uganda Radio Network at the weekend that the government is also making a move to seek the guidance of the cabinet on how it will work closely with the ICC in identifying eligible victims for reparations.
In a decision delivered on Thursday, the Chamber ruled that the confirmation of charges hearing of Kony will be held on September 9, 2025, in light of its duty to ensure that sufficient time is provided to both the prosecution and the defence.
Johnson Natuhwera, a Senior State Attorney who represented the Attorney General however told the court that the primary responsibility for compensating the victims lies with the convict who committed the crimes but not the government.
Dahirou Sant Anna, the International Cooperation Advisor, Office of the Prosecutor told Journalists in Gulu City Monday that the proposals to have the confirmation of charges hearing in Uganda is beneficial to the victims of the LRA in many ways.
Uganda Radio Network also established that the Defence team’s visit was meant to assess the views of the affected communities in Uganda on the value and desirability of absentia proceedings against Kony.
The move comes against the backdrop of recent backlash from African lawyers who criticized the ICC registry of bias in selecting lawyers to represent Joseph Kony.
Initially, the ICC had scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing against Kony on October 15 but was postponed in September following the Defence, Prosecution, and Office of the Public Counsel for Victims observations to ensure proper procedure and evidence presentation.
According to Hatanga, the court is expected to pronounce itself on reparations after the sentencing since the case has been about the victims and accountability.
The funding appeal seeks to raise funds for expeditious delivery of reparation to address the urgent needs of victims of sexual and gender-based violence, former child soldiers, and victims of attacks by Ongwen in Northern Uganda.
In a reparation decision made on Wednesday, the Judges at the Trial Chamber IX noted that the reparation will be made collectively to the victims given the magnitude of the atrocities and the number of victims.
According to a statement issued by the ICC, the Presidency of the ICC on November 9 this year designated Norway as the State of enforcement for the sentence of imprisonment of Ongwen, according to article 103 of the Rome Statute.
The State Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Okello Oryem says the revelation has exposed the truth about LRA's alleged Western sponsors, even though when the government made it clear in the past, no one cared to listen.
“Between December 2006 and October 2007, Inder allegedly transferred funds to the LRA on at least six occasions. According to direct witnesses, between 40,000 USD (about 136 million shillings) to 60,000 USD (204 million shillings) was transferred each time through Western Union and picked up by LRA commanders in Juba,” Frivet’s statement reads in Part.
Wilfred Lalobo, the Lukodi Survivors and Victims' Association Chairperson says they had faced immense pressure from a school and landlord on which both the monument and a mini museum sit to relocate the memorial site.
Leonard Komakech, Otti's surviving son and eldest child, stated on behalf of the family that his father deserves recognition for his tireless efforts in achieving peace and ending hostilities between the government and LRA.
The ICC Spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah told Journalists at a press briefing in The Hague that the ICC doesn’t have any evidence of Otti’s execution and says the arrest can only be withdrawn if tangible evidence of Otti’s execution is received by the ICC.
