ICC rejects Ongwen’s appeal, upholds reparations for victims

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The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 7, 2025, rejected Dominic Ongwen’s appeal and upheld the Trial Chamber’s decision on reparations.

Trial Chamber IX had, on February 28, 2024, set Ongwen’s financial liability at €52.429m (approx. sh207.2b) and ordered collective, community-based reparations.

These reparations focus on rehabilitation and symbolic measures, including collective rehabilitation programmes and a symbolic award of €750 (about sh2.9m) to each eligible victim, alongside other symbolic community actions.

Grounds of appeal and judgment

Ongwen had raised several grounds of appeal against the reparations order.

These included the alleged erroneous refusal by the court to disclose the names of the victims, perceived errors in awarding the €750 symbolic payment to each victim, alleged inaccuracies in determining the scope of Ongwen’s liability during his tenure as commander of the Sinia Brigade, and alleged misjudgement in assessing the moral harm suffered by the victims, among others.

However, during a public session where Ongwen and some victims' legal representatives attended remotely, Presiding Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa dismissed all grounds of appeal and confirmed the Trial Chamber’s decision.

Other members of the Appeals Chamber included Judge Tomoko Akane, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze, and Judge Erdenebalsuren Damdin.

Ongwen, a former commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), was convicted on February 4, 2021, of 61 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in northern Uganda between July 1, 2002, and December 31, 2005. 

He is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in Norway, following his transfer from The Hague on December 18, 2023.

Victims react

Some of the victims from case locations, including Abok, Lukodi, Odek, and Pajule welcomed the Appeals Chamber’s ruling.

Martin Odong, a victim from the Pajule case location in Pader district, said the court’s decision had revived hope among victims.

“We are very happy and very grateful because this ruling has restored hopes that were lost because of the delay in the court process,” he said shortly after the ruling.

Betty Piloya, who represents victims from the Lukodi case location in Gulu district, called on the court and its partners, such as the Trust Fund for Victims, to expedite the reparations process, noting that many vulnerable victims are dying before they can benefit.

Robert Opok, a victim from the Abok case location in the Lango sub-region, expressed satisfaction, stating, “…it did not differ from the previous rulings that were made in favour of the victims.”

According to Opok, victims from Abok have already organised themselves into groups with the help of development partners and are saving money under Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) as they await reparations.