A section of Uganda’s legal brains has welcomed the separation of Dominic Ongwen’s case from the main one that involved his former boss Joseph Kony among other Lord’s Resistance Army war lords.
One of them is city lawyer Nicholas Opio says trying Ongwen together with Kony would mean that Ogwen would be in jail and wait for the arrest of Kony.
The International Criminal Court yesterday issued a statement indicating that it had separated Dominic Ongwen’s case from the main one that involved his former boss Joseph Kony among other Lord Resistance Army war lords.
According to the statement from the ICC, this move is intended to fast track the Ongwen’s pre-trial case.
It has been separated from the main case of the Prosecutor Vs Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen.
The ICC reasoned that it is now ten years since it issued an arrest warrant against the other three LRA suspects who have never been apprehended.
The Hague based court said this decision will not in any way affect the rights of the LRA victims.
Ongwen faces 3 counts of crimes against humanity and 4 counts of war crimes allegedly committed on or about 20 May 2004 at the Lukodi IDP Camp in the Gulu District.
His maiden ICC appearance was on 26 January when the charges he is facing were read to him.
This was a preliminary step to decide whether the case will be referred to a trial or not.
Ongwen will next appear in court on 24 August for the confirmation of charges.
