On 7 April 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed one of its most significant reparations decisions to date: over 49,772 survivors of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) atrocities will receive €52.4 million in reparations in the Prosecutor v. Dominic Ongwen case.

The Appeals Chamber upheld the Trial Chamber’s landmark reparations order, rejecting all grounds of appeal and settling key legal questions, including the symbolic value of cash awards, dual modalities of reparations, and the anonymity of beneficiaries.

We welcome this decision as an affirmation of justice for survivors of sexual violence, reproductive harm, forced marriage, and child soldiering. Yet this decision must be matched by action. As Dominic Ongwen has been deemed indigent, the reparations will be funded through the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV)—which relies on voluntary contributions. We call on States and donors to contribute to the TFV to ensure survivors receive the reparations they are owed.

We encourage our network to revisit the Opinio Juris Dominic Ongwen Symposium, which explores the broader implications of the reparations order—including recognition of children born of rape, the implementation of collective reparations, and Ongwen’s indigence.

📄 Read the full ICC decision

📷 Photo: Judges of the ICC Appeals Chamber on 7 April 2025 in Courtroom I © ICC-CPI