Landlocked: Uganda’s high court will on Tuesday rule on the case of Thomas Kwoyelo, a former commander of the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), after more than 15 years of delays. Kwoyelo is being tried by the court’s international crimes division based in the northern city of Gulu, the epicentre of the country’s decades-long insurgency. There are 78 charges of murder, rape, intent to kill and a number of other war crimes against Kwoyelo, who has denied these claims. The trial is being played out amid a number of controversies: some have advocated for Kwoyelo’s release, based on how long he was held in pre-trial detention by Ugandan authorities, and the fact that others have faced amnesty. But others, including victims, say Kwoyelo was involved in the killings and torture, and should face justice. Here’s everything you need to know about Kwoyelo’s trial and the LRA militia group:
Who is Thomas Kwoyelo?
Kwoyelo, who is believed to be in his fifties, was a low-level commander of the LRA who was tasked with caring for wounded members of the militia, according to his testimony. He was forced to join the LRA when he was 12 years old when he was kidnapped by members of the group while on his way to school in 1987, when the rebel conflict was at its peak. He became a senior commander using the alias Latoni and began overseeing the treatment of wounded fighters. In 2009, Kwoyelo was captured in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo during a raid by regional forces. LRA rebels were forced to flee northern Uganda to the DRC and other neighbouring countries due to Ugandan army attacks on the group a few years ago. Kwoyelo was brought back to the country after suffering a gunshot wound to his stomach. He then spent the next 14 years in prison as prosecutors built a case against him. Analysts say the complexity of the crimes and delays caused by Covid-19 led to delays and the case was repeatedly postponed.
