Former LRA rebel commandant Thomas Kwoyelo’s trial resumed today at the International Crimes Division of the High Court after two years.
Kwoyero appeared before three Judges who included; Michael Elubu, Stephen Mubiru and Duncan Gaswaga.
Kwoyelo is grappling with 93 counts of murder, aggravated robbery, extensive destruction of property, causing serious injury to body or health and inhuman treatment, rape and torture among others that he is averred to have committed against the civilian population of northern Uganda, southern Sudan and the northeastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Kwoyelo was abducted by LRA on his way to school in 1987 and remained in captivity and later became Colonel.
The worst attack of the paramilitary group that was under the leadership of Joseph Kony occurred in Haute-Hele Province (DRC) in December 2008, the so called Christmas massacre where over 200 were killed and over 800 house razed down.
The rebels split up in groups to attack the villages Faradje, Batande, Duru, Bangadi and Burgi. They waited until people had gathered for Christmas festivities, then surrounded and killed them with axes, machetes and clubs.
In March 2009, Kwoyelo was injured during hostilities between the Ugandan army and the LRA in DRC and brought into Uganda for medical treatment and subsequently into custody.
His trial however commenced in July 2011 before ICD, a division of Uganda’s High Court however Constitutional Court resolved that the suspect’s trial should stop as it found grounds for the failure by the DPP and the Amnesty Commission to act on Kwoyelo’s application.
In 2015, Supreme Court decided that Kwoyelo’s trail should resume.
