Former Lord’s Resistance Army Commander Dominic Ongwen has been transferred to a prison facility in the Kingdom of Norway to serve his sentence of imprisonment.
Ongwen was in 2021 sentenced to 25 years imprisonment after being found guilty of crimes against humanity committed during the insurgency in Northern Uganda.
Also nicknamed the “White Ant”, Ongwen was facing 70 charges stemming from offences committed while serving as a commander in the rebel outfit commanded by Joseph Kony but earlier this year was found guilty of 61 charges.
On 15 December 2022, the Appeals Chamber confirmed the decisions of Trial Chamber IX on Dominic Ongwen’s guilt and sentence.
The conviction and the sentence are now final and a phase dedicated to the reparations to victims is ongoing.
He has now been transferred from Hague where the ICC sits to a prison in Norway.
Ongwen is the fifth person transferred by the International Criminal Court to a state that has indicated its willingness to accept sentenced persons
On November,9, 2023, the presidency of the ICC designated Norway as the state of enforcement for the sentence of imprisonment of Ongwen, pursuant to article 103 of the Rome Statute.
The presidency noted that the enforcement of the sentence of imprisonment shall be subject to the supervision of the ICC and shall be consistent with widely accepted international standards governing the treatment of prisoners.
The transfer of Ongwen to Norway occurred with the close cooperation of the Norwegian authorities and the support of the Dutch authorities.
The ICC relies on the support from states for the enforcement of its sentences and is highly appreciative of the voluntary cooperation of Norway in this case.
Ongwen is the first LRA commander to be tried, convicted, and sentenced for charges related to the Northern Uganda insurgency before the ICC.
