Uganda starts War Crimes trial of LRA Commander

Former LRA Commander Thomas Kwoyelo on Monday appeared before International Crime Division (ICD) of the High Court of Uganda charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ICD is one of the specialised divisions set up in the High Court to try cases of war crime and crimes against humanity. It was set up in 2009 by the government and its first sitting was on July 11, 2011 and will try Col. Kwoyelo.
The division has the authority to try genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, terrorism, human trafficking, piracy and any other international crime defined in Uganda’s Penal Code Act, the 1964 Geneva Conventions Act and the 2010 International Criminal Court Act (ICCA).
Kwoyelo is facing 53 counts of Willful killing, Taking of hostages, Kidnap with intent to murder, Robbery with aggravation, and Extensive destruction of property.
The offences contained and charged in the indictment, prosecution said, were committed in the context of an international armed conflict that existed in Northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, and North Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the LRA with the support and under the control of the government of Sudan fighting against the government of the Republic of Uganda as by law established, between 1987 and 2008
The attacks were either commanded by Kwoyelo or were carried out with his full knowledge and authority.
Defence however challenged why Kwoyelo who applied for amnesty under the law did not receive any response from government. They argued that some LRA commanders more senior than Kwoyelo and were captured by UPDF in operations were granted amnesty and why not Kwoyelo. They said the law, constitution of Uganda provides for equality and freedom from discrimination.