In his role as a defence lawyer at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Krispus Ayena faces a profound ethical dilemma: Can an individual be both an executioner and a victim? Ayena’s most significant case involves his client, Dominique Ongwen, who was abducted by Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda at the age of nine. Having risen to the rank of commander, Ongwen ultimately surrendered and now faces prosecution in The Hague. Beyond the courtroom, this trial threatens to reopen deep-seated wounds in Uganda as it focuses on one side of the conflict and raises complex questions about justice and accountability before the International Criminal Court. Ayena, personally invested in the case, must navigate these complexities while presenting a nuanced portrayal of Uganda and the potential consequences of the verdict to the Western-based court.
