In Uganda, the trial of Thomas Kwoyelo began on Friday January 19. Thomas Kwoyelo is a former child soldier who became commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that terrorized Uganda and central Africa for more than twenty years, causing more than 100,000 deaths.
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Thomas Kwoyelo faces more than 70 charges including murder, rape and recruitment of child soldiers. This is the first time that a Ugandan court has tried a member of theLord’s Resistance Armyfourteen years after his arrest.
The trial promises to be historic, for several reasons, according to Okwir Isaac Odiya, head of the Ugandan NGO Justice and Reconciliation Projectat the microphone of Victor Cariou from the Africa editorial team.
“ This trial will be extremely important for Ugandan society. It is the first of its kind. So this is a moment where everyone will learn, both for the Ugandan government, for civil society organizations and for lawyers.
“ But it is also the moment when those who, like Thomas Kwoyelo, were members of the Lord’s Resistance Army, will know what awaits them.
“ So this trial is a test. A test where the government will see what works, where society will see what impact it can have, a test which will allow victims to realize what they can expect from such a trial. What happens here will set the stage for all other Lord’s Resistance Army trials. »
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