The conviction and sentencing of ex-rebel, Thomas Kwoyelo, 15 years on

Thomas Kwoyelo was a mid-level commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group notorious for its brutal tactics in Uganda. Key figures in the LRA including Kwoyelo and Dominic Ongwen, were abducted as children. Despite their initial victimisation, Kwoyelo and Ongwen rose through the ranks to become commanders, participating in and orchestrating numerous atrocities. Kwoyelo was recently convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity. His trial marked the first time an LRA commander was prosecuted by Uganda’s judiciary. This case highlights two key issues: the trial’s length and its comparison to Dominic Ongwen’s case before the International Criminal Court (ICC).