Reaction mixed as Ugandan court sentences former LRA commander to 40 years

KAMPALA, UGANDA — 

A Ugandan tribunal sentenced erstwhile Lord’s Resistance Army commandant Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years successful situation connected Friday.

In August, the Ugandan International Crimes Division recovered Kwoyelo blameworthy connected 44 charges, including murder, pillaging, inhumane acts and gender-based unit specified arsenic rape. Lawyers for Kwoyelo, 50, said helium is going to entreaty the sentence.

Francis Okello Oloya, a scientist and caput of a comfortableness canine task successful Gulu for LRA warfare survivors, was blinded by a weaponry blast astatine the property of 12 during Uganda’s warfare against the rebels. He told VOA that helium welcomes the tribunal process but that the condemnation doesn’t fulfill him oregon different survivors.

“The perpetrator needed to inquire for forgiveness and reconciliation with his heart,” Oloya said, adding, “He volition beryllium serving his jailhouse terms, but what benefits volition the victims get?”

In speechmaking retired the sentence, Justice Duncan Gaswaga emphasized that determination is nary accidental Kwoyelo volition beryllium released aboriginal connected parole. “This condemnation besides excludes a anticipation of rehabilitation, reconciliation and betterment of the convict, and concentrates connected punishment, retribution and deterrence,” helium said.

The judges besides highlighted Kwoyelo’s guilt connected the rape charges.

Susan Aceng Oroma, the task serviceman for the Foundation for Justice and Development Initiative, a nongovernmental enactment that works to beforehand justness and economical betterment successful bluish Uganda, said she was blessed to perceive the judges absorption connected gender-based violence.

“Looking astatine the magnitude of the offenses helium committed, helium deserved the sentencing,” she said.

However, Angelo Izama, a Ugandan planetary crimes analyst, argued that Kwoyelo should not person been enactment connected trial.

He said that the champion method to resoluteness Kwoyelo’s lawsuit would person been to enactment him nether the section Matoput process. That would person led to reconciliation and forgiveness, which helium said cannot beryllium achieved by instrumentality oregon unit of arms.

“Kwoyelo has been benignant of a stand-in quality for the bluish Uganda conflict,” Izama said. “He is the astir disposable remaining subordinate of the LRA to beryllium enactment guardant to reply for the crimes of that organization. But you person to callback that the struggle successful the northbound took spot implicit 20 years. And the atrocities were connected each sides of that conflict.”

Meanwhile, LRA person Joseph Kony remains wanted by the International Criminal Court connected dozens of warfare crimes charges but has not been confirmed live for years.