On the 6th of December the case against former LRA commandant Dominic Ongwen starts at the International Criminal Court. Ongwen is accused of crimes against humanity, but as a former child soldier, he is also seen as a victim of Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army.

LRA expert and writer Ledio Cakaj gives a lecture on this complexe case. During this lecture he will focus on the stance of the international community with regard to the LRA. Was it aware enough of the driving forces of the LRA fighters? We will also discuss the impact that the fragmented rebel group still has on Central African countries such as Uganda, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.

About the speaker

Ledio Cakaj is researcher, writer and expert on the Lord’s Resistance Army. He has spent close to a decade working almost exclusively on the LRA for organizations including the World Bank, Small Arms Survey, the Enough Project, and Resolve. For his most recent book ‘When the Walking Defeats You‘ he has executed many interviews with George Omona, the personal bodyguard of Joseph Kony. Cakaj’s writing has appeared on The New Yorker, Jane’s Intelligence Review and The Washington Post.

Moderator is Hetty Burgman, director Security & Justice at Cordaid.