Ongwen’s conviction was a landmark. It was the first ICC prosecution of a member of the indiscriminately brutal LRA.
The LRA came to punish the community for its perceived collaboration with government forces and to loot food aid that had just been delivered. The LRA’s violence forced around 1.8 million people from their homes. The group abducted more than 38,000 children – many forced to serve as child soldiers or sex slaves. Those emotions are about to be revisited as Ongwen’s defense team prepares its appeal against his sentencing in the coming weeks.
