Kwoyelo rejects request to reconcile with LRA victims
Former LRA rebel group commander Thomas Kwoyelo shares a moment with his lawyers Caleb Alaka (L) and Borris Anyuru (R), pose for a photo on October 25, 2024 after a court session in Gulu City. PHOTO/REGAN OCAYA.
What you need to know:
- On Monday, court also extended the session in which delivering a sentence to the former rebel group commander will commence.
Former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group commander Thomas Kwoyelo on Monday told the judges of the International Crimes Division of the High Court (ICD) that he was not ready to undertake ‘mato-oput’, a traditional reconciliation ritual in Uganda’s Acholi culture.
The ritual, under the Acholi justice system, involves a set of undertakings including admission of guilt by an offender, asking for forgiveness, and reconciling.
On October 14, Kwoyelo appeared before the ICD sitting at Gulu High Court circuit in Gulu City before a panel of judges including Michael Elubu, Duncan Gaswaga, Stephen Mubiru and Andrew Bashaija.
When Justice Bashaija asked his opinion on whether he could undertake the ritual, Kwoyelo declined saying that his “acts as a rebel commander were not intentional since he acted on orders of his superiors.
“The process of mato-oput is not important to me because I did not do all these things intentionally,” Kwoyelo said.
In August, Kwoyelo was convicted for up to 44 charges out of the total 78 charges slapped against him.
While reading the court judgment, lead judge in the case, Michael Elubu, said court “convicted Kwoyelo upon confirming 44 charges while it dropped several others.”
Kwoyelo was faced with counts including aggravated robbery, murder as a crime against humanity, attempted murder, imprisonment as a crime against humanity, and kidnapping with intent to murder, among others.
During the session, 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.
“I request the high court and the judges to consider giving me a litter sentence so that I can also enjoy the freedom and peace which people talk about with my other family.”
According to him, he is already in his 40s and has a few years to live in addition to wanting to support his mother.
“I spent most of my time in captivity. So, the 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 told court.
On September 2, the ICD set October 16, 2024 as commencement date for sentencing Kwoyelo from the Gulu High Court circuit.
However, on Monday, justice Elubu adjourned the session to October 25 when the court is expected to resume.
