Ex-LRA commander Kwoyelo sentenced to 40 years in prison
Thomas Kwoyelo, a former commander of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is seen during the ICD sitting at Gulu High Court Circuit on October 25, 2024. PHOTO/TOBBIAS JOLY OWINY
What you need to know:
- "That period is going to be reduced by the years he has spent in lawful custody."
Thomas Kwoyelo, a mid-level commander in the notorious Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in Uganda on Friday for war crimes including murder, rape, enslavement, torture and kidnap.
The sentence was handed by the International Crimes Division of the High Court (ICD) presided by justice Michael Elubu, leader of a panel of five judges in Gulu City, Northern Uganda.
Kwoyelo had been convicted of dozens of war crimes in August 2024, the first time an officer of his seniority had been tried by Uganda's judiciary.
Whereas he was sentenced to between 5 and 40 years for each of the 44 charges for which he was convicted, Justice Elubu, ordered that he will concurrently serve the sentences for each of the cases -less by 15 years- for which he had been on remand.
“He will therefore serve 25 years in prison,” court held.
The ICD court also ordered the victims’ lawyer to file an application that will facilitate a separate proceeding to determine the model of reparation for Kwoyleo’s victims.
“In those proceedings, the victims’ lawyer is directed to make a formal application which the attorney general shall be joined as a party. The victims’ counsel shall file that application and serve it by November 8, 2024,” Justice Elubu explained.
The ICD sitting at Gulu High Court circuit included justices Elubu, Duncan Gaswaga, Stephen Mubiru and Andrew Bashaija.
While appearing before the same panel of judges on October 14, Kwoyelo requested the ICD to hand him a lighter sentence since he was abducted at childhood- and that his life in captivity was already enough imprisonment.
He also suggested that a lighter sentence would allow him to reunite and live with his family.
“Court should allow me to go out there and take care of my old mother since my father was killed during the war and there is no one to look after her,” he added.
Kwoyelo was arrested on March 3, 2009, but his prosecution dragged due to numerous hurdles, including limited resources and the Covid-19 outbreak.
About LRA
Founded in the late 1980s with the aim of overthrowing the government, the LRA brutalised Ugandans under the leadership of Joseph Kony for nearly 20 years as it battled the military from bases in northern Uganda.
The insurgents carried out horrific acts of cruelty, including rapes, abductions, hacking off victims' limbs and lips and using crude instruments to bludgeon people to death.
*Additional reporting by Reuters
