Thomas Kwoyelo, a former commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), has been sentenced to 40 years in prison by Uganda’s International Crimes Division of the High Court.
Kwoyelo was found guilty on 44 charges, including murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, though he denied all charges.
Kwoyelo’s conviction marks a significant milestone as he is the first LRA commander to be tried and convicted by a Ugandan court.
The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, was notorious for terrorizing civilians in northern and northeastern Uganda throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The rebel group’s brutal tactics included killing, maiming, and abducting civilians, many of whom were children forced into servitude as soldiers or sex slaves.
One of the most harrowing incidents attributed to the LRA was a 2004 attack on a civilian camp in Pagak, northern Uganda, where dozens of women and children were reportedly beaten to death with clubs.
While the court acknowledged the severity of Kwoyelo’s crimes, it refrained from imposing a death sentence or life imprisonment due to his history as a former child soldier.
Kwoyelo was reportedly abducted at age 12 by the LRA and forced into their ranks. During the trial, the court also noted Kwoyelo’s expressions of remorse and assessed that he no longer posed a threat to society.
The LRA’s influence initially spread across northern Uganda but later expanded to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Kwoyelo was captured by the Ugandan military in 2009. The LRA then shifted operations to other parts of Central Africa, including the Central African Republic.
Kwoyelo, who has already served 15 years in custody, will have 25 years left on his sentence. His conviction on August 13, 2024, covered a range of charges, including crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Uganda’s prolonged conflict with the LRA. He has since instructed his lawyers to appeal the sentence.
Born in Pabbo, Amuru District, Kwoyelo was reportedly abducted by LRA rebels in 1987 while on his way to school. Over the years, he rose through the ranks to become a colonel under Kony’s command. His capture in 2009, following an injury sustained in combat, marked the beginning of his 15-year wait for judgment.
