Ugandan rebel commander convicted for sex crimes, forced pregnancy

Former Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen was convicted on Thursday of widespread sexual crimes, including rape and forced marriage, in a ruling at the International Criminal Court.

Ongwen, once a commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army, faces 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity and could be imprisoned for life if convicted. Judges will not address sentencing on Thursday.

Presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt said the evidence in Ongwen’s case showed that sexual crimes were systemic and institutional under his command and in a legal first convicted him of the crime of forced pregnancy.