what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Hey, this is Sham Jaff, your very own news curator. Each week, I highlight some of the biggest stories from regions and countries that are historically underreported in Western media. My goal is to burst our Western-centric bubbles, and expand the view we hold of the world we share with one another. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime by replying to this mail. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up at whathappenedlastweek.com.

Today in the newsletter: Issue #371 is about the Lord's Resistance Army, or the crimes committed by one of its leaders (and former child soldier), Dominic Ongwen. Some 50,000 of his victims are now receiving reparations by the International Criminal Court (ICC), and I need us to talk about healing more often in news media.

Good news in Uganda – survivors of Lord's Resistance Army are granted reparations

What happened
On February 28, the ICC at The Hague granted 52.4-million € in reparations to nearly 50,000 victims of rape, murder, and abduction – crimes Dominic Ongwen was convicted of from his time in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Ongwen is a Ugandan child soldier turned warlord. It's been a long wait—two decades since Ongwen committed the crimes.

Why this matters
This action by the International Criminal Court (ICC) is unprecedented—it's their heftiest reparation mandate to date. It's a major acknowledgment and an attempt to mend the deep scars left on the victims.

Tell me more
Ongwen, nailed for 61 crimes in 2021 from the early 2000s, saw his appeal knocked back in late 2022, clearing the path for this groundbreaking reparation ruling. Judge Bertram Schmitt pointed out the severe harm inflicted on thousands due to the "unimaginable atrocities" under Ongwen's command.

Who's the LRA again?
Under Jospeh Kony's lead (remember "Kony 2012"?), the LRA started its wave of violence in Uganda back in the '80s, later spreading chaos across neighboring nations. Ongwen, nabbed by the LRA at nine and morphed into a child soldier, climbed the ranks and led vicious assaults on civilians. Despite his own victimhood early on, the court held him fully responsible for his later actions. And what about Kony? The guy's still on the run, with 36 charges hanging over him, including some seriously nasty stuff. The ICC is mulling over a trial in his absence to push forward with justice.

Btw, a public announcement for my German speakers, last week I talked about the "Kony 2012" hype in a new column I have in the FOMO podcast. Expect some whlw topics there every Tuesday this month. If it goes well, and you like it, I might stay.

What's the reparation plan?
The ICC is leaning towards collective, community-centric healing programs, given the massive number of victims pegged at about 49,772. These individuals, including ex-child soldiers and kids born from violence, are also slated to get individual symbolic payments, prioritizing a 750€ handout each, in recognition of their personal trials.

Who's picking up the tab?
Not Ongwen. Though liable, the guy's broke. So, the tab will be picked up by the ICC's trust fund for victims, bankrolled by its member states.

What now?
It's time for the ICC's Registry to roll up its sleeves and start tallying up and signing up victims. The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) has its work cut out, tasked with hashing out and rolling out the reparation scheme, in sync with the victims' needs. With a daunting 52.4 million € in reparations on Ongwen's tab, the TFV faces a hefty fundraising haul, aiming to rally support from governments, groups, and individuals to fill the financial void.

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The rest of Issue #371 is about Mexico. Mexico, this year, will have the biggest elections ever, and it looks like the country will elect its very first female president (U.S., are you reading this?). Plus, I'll be covering Nigeria's kidnapping problem, the state of journalism in Ethiopia, Iran's human rights practices, India's big tech plans, South Africa's innovative water-saving method, Chinese wines, South Korean movies about North Korea, a popular comic book about life in the Côte d'Ivoire, an entire book about the history of Bollywood (and a Spotify playlist to go along with it), and so much more.

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what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Good news in Uganda – survivors of Lord's Resistance Army are granted reparations

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