The restitution and return of colonial objects is one of the most important sites of debate over engagement with the colonial past. It forms an integral part of claims of reparation for colonial injustice, which have been voiced in the UN for decades (e.g., Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow’s famous Plea for the Return of Irreplaceable Cultural Heritage to Those Who Created It)....
[Beth S. Lyons is an experienced criminal defence attorney who has represented defendants before the ICTR and ICC. She is currently one of the counsel representing Dominic Ongwen.] Introduction Let me say from the start that I believe that victims of crimes have a right to redress and to reparations which are proportionate to the harms caused by these crimes. This right...
[Dr Alison Bisset is Associate Professor in International Human Rights Law at the University of Reading, UK] Since the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for war crimes in March 2023, the deportation and unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation has been the subject of international legal, media and...
[Adrián Agenjo is an LL.M graduate from the London School of Economics and a Researcher at Pompeu Fabra University. He also works at Irídia - Human Rights Defence Centre in Spain.] The views expressed in this article are the author’s alone and do not represent any institutional affiliation. Lavender Unveiled: The Oblivion of Human Dignity in Israel's War Policy on Gaza The Israeli military...
[Margaret Ajok is currently the Transitional Justice Advisor at the Governance and Security Programme Secretariat (formerly JLOS), at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Uganda. She is a lawyer and advocate of the Courts of Judicature of Uganda and is also a task force member for the African Union Women for Transitional Justice Network representing Africa.] Introduction The over two decades...
[Stella Lanam is the Founder and Director of War Victims and Children Networking (WVCN), a community-based, membership organisation open to female victims of the LRA war in Northern Uganda.] Introduction My name is Stella Lanam and I am a war survivor and former forced wife of Dominic Ongwen. I was one of the victims who applied to participate in the case before...
[Sylvia Acan is a survivor; abducted at 13 years, Sylvia lived in captivity for almost 8 years. Following her repatriation, Sylvia returned to school and completed tertiary level education. In 2011, she founded Golden Women Vision Uganda to provide support to women and children victims of the LRA war, including many victims of Dominic Ongwen.] I am a survivor of the atrocities...
[Fatuma Abiya is a child born in captivity following the abduction of her mother by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Now a young adult, Fatuma is a Human Rights activist, a peace practitioner and law graduate who completed law school in 2023. She is a passionate advocate concerning issues impacting women, youth and children born of war.] Background I was born in captivity to...
[Lorraine Smith- van Lin is the Founder and Executive Director of Tallawah Justice for Women e.v, a non-profit association which works to connect, empower and amplify the voices of women leaders of survivor and grassroots organisations.] Introduction The reparations decision in the case of Dominic Ongwen, a former commander of the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) on February 28,...
[Alejandra Vicente is the Head of Law at REDRESS Renata Politi is a Legal Advisor at REDRESS.] Introduction The recent reparation order issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the case of Dominic Ongwen, a former Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) commander convicted of 61 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes in northern Uganda, has brought victims and survivors a...
[Pamela Angwech is the Executive Director of Gulu Women Economic Justice and Globalisation in Gulu, Northern Uganda. She has received numerous awards for her work on human rights and gender justice for victims of the affected communities including the 2017 European Union Human Rights Defender Award.] As a grassroots activist and human rights defender in Northern Uganda, who has worked for...
[Joseph A. Manoba is a Ugandan lawyer and Co-Counsel with Francisco Cox in the representation of victims in the case of the Prosecutor Versus Dominic Ongwen.] The Ongwen case is in many respects a significant milestone for justice and accountability for the victims of the atrocities in northern Uganda. Dominic Ongwen is the only one of five commanders of the Lord’s...