ICC – Ongwen’s intercepted radio calls to justify his crimes
By Tobbias Jolly Owiny & Cissy Makumbi:
A senior legal officer in the prosecution of former LRA commander Domnic Ongwen has said radio communications by Ongwen will be the major evidence during his trial.
At the peak of the LRA insurgency in Northern Uganda, the UPDF through its intelligence intercepted and recorded these communications at various locations at 4th Division barracks in Gulu, Acolpii 5th Division barracks in Pader and in Soroti as well.
Although many victims who witnessed the attacks have testified against Ongwen before the ICC, the court has been availed four different audios of Ongwen’s radio communications to his chief Joseph Kony.
In an interview with Daily Monitor in Lira, Paul Benjamin Bradfield says in the different recordings, Ongwen who sounds determined and passionate, makes radio calls to his superior Kony even without being assigned, informing him of the magnitude of the attacks he has made.
He tells Kony how he butchered soldiers, women, men and children, burnt down everything and how other survivors fled for their lives.
He is then congratulated by Kony who sounds very impressed of the number of the civilians and UPDF soldiers killed in the attack upon hearing that only his mother’s backyard had been spared.
Bradfield says it is now upon the ICC judges to credit the intercepted radio calls by Ongwen as a justification that he commanded the attacks.
