The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed an award of 52 million euros (approximately Ksh.7.4 billion) for the victims of Dominic Ongwen, a former warlord of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Ongwen, whose brutal reign of terror as part of the LRA under fugitive Joseph Kony left a trail of death and destruction across northern Uganda, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for 61 charges, including murder, rape, and sexual enslavement.
Ongwen, known by his nom de guerre “White Ant,” was once abducted as a child soldier at the age of nine, which cast a complex moral dilemma on his actions. Despite his abduction, the ICC found that his responsibility for heinous crimes committed during his time with the LRA could not be mitigated by his victimization as a child. The case has drawn attention to the often overlooked consequences for children conscripted into armed conflicts and the moral challenges of holding them accountable for war crimes.
The court’s reparations order, which includes symbolic compensation of 750 euros per victim, affects nearly 50,000 people who were identified as victims in the case. This amount is part of an overall damage award of 52 million euros, and the reparations will be administered by the ICC’s Trust Fund for Victims. While Ongwen is serving his sentence in a Norwegian prison, he is unable to pay the award himself.
The LRA, founded by former Catholic altar boy Joseph Kony, was responsible for a brutal insurgency that lasted over two decades. It was infamous for its extreme violence, including massacres and the abduction of tens of thousands of children, some of whom were forced into combat or sexual slavery. The LRA’s reign of terror also spread across neighboring countries like Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic.
Ongwen’s conviction and the damages awarded to his victims serve as a reminder of the long-lasting trauma caused by the LRA, and the ICC’s continued role in seeking justice for the countless lives destroyed by the group’s actions. The ICC will also hold a hearing in September 2025 to lay out charges against Joseph Kony, who remains at large.
