The International Criminal Court has ruled that Over 50,000 Ugandans who Ugandan militia commander Dominic Ongwen victimized are set to receive over 52 million euros (Ksh.8.2 billion) in compensation.

ICC Judges determined that Ongwen, a former child soldier who ascended through the ranks to become a prominent commander of the feared Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, lacked the resources to pay the reparations alone. Instead, they sought the tribunal's Trust Fund for Victims to assist with the cost.

PHOTO | COURTESY  Ugandan militia commander Dominic Ongwen

The reparations will be a symbolic individual payment of 750 euros (Ksh.119,000) for every victim and extra collective reparations such as rehabilitation programs and memorials.

Ongwen was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2021 for 60 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape, murder, and child abduction. He is currently serving a term in Norway.

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PHOTO | COURTESY LRA soldiers

The LRA, led by fugitive warlord Joseph Kony, terrorized Ugandans for nearly two decades, fighting President Yoweri Museveni's government from bases in northern Uganda and neighboring countries. The militia has been largely eliminated, but Kony remains one of the ICC's most wanted fugitives.

The overall number of victims is estimated to reach nearly 50,000, which includes those who were attacked in refugee camps, as well as women and children who were kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers or sexual slaves. The ICC judges projected that the total damages would be 52.4 million euros.