Thomas Kwoyelo, former Lord's Resistance Army leader, faces trial

The trial of Thomas Kwoyelo, a former child soldier who later became a commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), has begun in Uganda. Kwoyelo is facing over 90 charges, including murder, rape, and recruiting child soldiers. He has spent the last 14 years in pre-trial detention, which is partly attributed to the complexity of the alleged crimes. In 2011, Kwoyelo denied the charges against him during a court appearance. The LRA, formed by Joseph Kony over 20 years ago, claimed to be fighting for a government based on the Bible's 10 Commandments. The group was known for brutal acts such as mutilating people and abducting children as soldiers and sex slaves, leading to hundreds of thousands being displaced. Kwoyelo was arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009 and is now being tried at the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Gulu. Previous court appearances in this case have been repeatedly postponed. Human rights organizations have criticized the delays and lack of accountability for crimes committed during the 25-year conflict. In 2021, LRA commander Dominic Ongwen was sentenced to 25 years by the International Criminal Court (ICC), taking into account his past as a child abductee. Kwoyelo claims to have been abducted by the LRA as a teenager. While many former LRA members have been granted amnesty under Ugandan law, Kwoyelo was denied this option, raising suspicions of political motives. Concerns also exist about funding for the trial, which could cause further delays for the justice sought by Kwoyelo's alleged victims.