Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

A former high-ranking official in the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) army has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Let’s bring you up to speed: The LRA, founded by Joseph Kony in the late 1980s in northern Uganda, began as a rebellion against Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Kony aimed to establish a regime based on his interpretation of the Ten Commandments and beliefs. The group became notorious for its brutality, abducting children to serve as soldiers and sex slaves. Over two decades, the LRA committed widespread atrocities, including massacres, mutilations, and displacing millions across Uganda, South Sudan, the DRC, and the Central African Republic. Despite being driven from northern Uganda in the mid-2000s, the LRA continued violent attacks from bases in neighboring countries. It remains classified as a terrorist organization by the UN and the US.

What’s going on now: According to Ugandan media outlets, Thomas Kwoyelo was convicted for his role as a commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), where he planned and led brutal raids resulting in widespread murder, torture, and abductions. Prosecutors stated that Kwoyelo directed the pillaging and destruction of settlements for displaced civilians, targeting villages and camps to terrorize and displace communities. He was found guilty of 44 charges, including multiple counts of murder, rape, torture, enslavement, and abduction.

During the trial, victims testified against Kwoyelo and revealed that he participated in attacks where civilians were hacked to death, raped, and subjected to other forms of extreme violence. Some of those who testified were also victims who said that Kwoyelo forced them to join his army while they were children and were used as sex slaves.

Kwoyelo’s defense: Despite significant claims against him, lawyers for Kwoyelo argued that he was a victim of abduction and forced conscription into the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) at the age of 12. They argued that his involvement in the group’s activities was under duress and beyond his control.