Uganda - August 2024

As the first Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander to be tried by a Ugandan court, Thomas Kwoyelo was found guilty of dozens of crimes against humanity on 13 August 2024. Kwoyelo was convicted of dozens of atrocities committed during the LRA insurgency. A child soldier-turned rebel commander, Kwoyelo has been in custody since 2009. Rights group International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) described the trial, which had faced years of delays, as a milestone in the country’s efforts to hold war criminals accountable. The trial is also the first atrocity case to be tried under the International Crimes Division, a special division of the High Court, that was established in 2008 to try international crimes. Human rights groups welcomed the verdict as a crucial step toward justice for victims of the LRA’s brutal campaign. Kwoyelo is yet to be sentenced.

Sources: Al Jazeera, BBC, ISS Africa, The Africa Report, Human Rights Watch, ICTJ