Court to rule on former Lord’s Resistance Army commander Kwoyelo

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The International Crimes Division of the High Court is scheduled to deliver a ruling in a case where the former Lord’s Resistance Army Commander (LRA), Thomas Kwoyelo is accused of crimes against humanity. ;

According to the production warrant issued by the deputy registrar Juliet Hatanga on December 7, 2023, Judges of the International Crimes Division of the High Court (ICD) will deliver a ruling on December 18, 2023, at Gulu High Court. ;

A panel of four judges Michael Elubu, Duncan Gaswaga, Stephen Mubiru, and Dr Andrew Bashaija will rule whether Kwoyelo has a case to answer or not. ;

Kwoyelo who was arrested by the Ugandan Army in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in March 2008 faces several charges of war crimes. ;

He faces 93 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, sexual violence, murder, kidnap, robbery, and pillaging. He denied the charges. ;

The prosecution alleges that Kwoyelo committed the offences between 1993 and 2005 in Pabbo and Lamogi sub-counties in Amuru district. ;

Born in Pabbo in Amoru district, Kwoyelo, was reportedly kidnapped on his way to school in 1987 by the LRA. Since then Kwoyelo has been involved in LRA’s atrocities that were committed in Northern Uganda. ;

He rose through the ranks until 2008 when he was captured by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). After he was charged, Kwoyelo applied for Amnesty, under the Amnesty Act of 2000, however, his application was rejected by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). ;

Kwoyelo appealed but the Supreme Court on April 8, 2015, ruled that he could be tried.

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