Amplifying Redress: The Ongwen Reparations Order and Justice for Victims of International Crimes in Uganda | International Center for Transitional Justice

In February 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) delivered its long-awaited reparations order in the case of The Prosecutor vs. Dominic Ongwen. Nearly two decades after the ICC intervened in Northern Uganda, this milestone decision both acknowledges the suffering of survivors and underscores the complexities and limitations of international justice. For victims who have waited for justice for over two decades, the order has been bittersweet. The Ongwen reparations order presents an opportunity to deliver redress through a survivor-centered and participatory process. At its core, such an approach emphasizes the meaningful participation of victims at every stage of the reparations process—from design and implementation to monitoring and evaluation. By leveraging survivor-centered and participatory methods, the process can better address the profound harm caused by Ongwen’s crimes while fostering healing and affirming victims’ agency and dignity. The ICC convicted Dominic Ongwen, a former commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army, of 61 crimes in 2021—the highest number of convictions for an individual in the court’s history. These crimes include attacks on multiple internally displaced persons camps, sexual and gender-based crimes, and the conscription of child soldiers. Ongwen’s crimes inflicted severe physical, psychological, and material harm on victims and communities in Northern Uganda....