Kwoyelo found guilty of war crimes

Ruth Anderah | August 14, 2024

The International Crimes Division of the High Court has found former Lord’s Resistance Army commander Thomas Kwoyelo, alias Latoni, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In a landmark verdict delivered on Tuesday evening, the Director of Public Prosecutions secured 44 convictions against Kwoyelo for war crimes under the Geneva Conventions Act of 1964, crimes against humanity under Customary International Law, and other grave offenses committed during the LRA insurgency.

Kwoyelo was initially indicted on 93 charges related to violations of international humanitarian and customary international law between 1987 and 2005. These charges included pillaging, cruel treatment, murder, outrages upon personal dignity, violence to life, imprisonment, rape, enslavement, torture, kidnap with intent to murder, aggravated robbery, and attempted murder.

In December 2023, the court acquitted Kwoyelo of 14 charges and ordered him to defend himself against the remaining 78. On August 13, 2024, he was found guilty of 44 charges and acquitted of three additional ones. Thirty-three alternative charges were dismissed following the convictions on the primary charges.

Specifically, Kwoyelo was convicted of war crimes including pillaging, murder, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, and violence to life (cruel treatment and torture). He was also found guilty of crimes against humanity such as murder, imprisonment, other inhumane acts, enslavement, rape, torture, and kidnap with intent to murder.

The court will announce the sentencing date for Kwoyelo at a later time.

The case was presided over by a panel of three judges: Justice Michael Elubu (head), Justice Stephen Mubiru, and Justice Duncan Gaswaga, with Justice Andrew Bashaija as an alternate.

Kwoyelo was represented by Senior Counsels Dalton Opwonya, Caleb Alaka, Evans Ochieng, and Borris Geoffrey Anyuru. The victims were represented by Lead Counsel Robert Mackay, Counsel Amooti Jane Magdalene, and Henry Komakech Kilama.

According to Jacquelyn Okui, Public Relations Officer for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, this is the first international crimes case prosecuted by the ODPP and adjudicated by the High Court’s International Crimes Division. This sets a precedent for prosecuting international crimes within Uganda’s legal framework.