The judiciary in Uganda has marked a significant milestone with the conviction of Thomas Kwoyelo, a senior commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The International Crimes Division of the High Court on August 13, 2024, found Koyelo guilty of 44 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, making him the first LRA member to be tried in Uganda for such offenses.

While addressing the media on Tuesday, 20 August, 2024, about the quarterly performance of the judiciary at the High Court headquarters in Kampala, James Eremye Mawanda, the judiciary’s public relations officer, said the completion of this decade-long case marks a significant achievement for the judiciary in Uganda and the world at large due to the international nature of the case.

“The completion of this public interest case after a decade is a huge achievement for Uganda and the world, given the international nature of the crimes involved,” Mawanda said.

Mawanda added that the prosecution and the defense have agreed to a status conference after pronouncing the judgment slated for today.

During the trial, presiding Judge Michael Elubu stated that Kwoyelo was convicted of serious charges, including murder, rape, torture, and abduction, while three counts of murder were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Additionally, 31 alternate charges were also dismissed. Kwoyelo, who has consistently denied the allegations against him, was acquitted of some charges but faces a long-awaited sentencing, which is yet to be determined.