Overview

• Thomas Kwoyelo was convicted on 44 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, and torture.
• The trial marks a historic first for Uganda, as it is the first time a member of the Lord's Resistance Army has been tried for war crimes in the country.
• Kwoyelo was abducted by the LRA at age 12 and rose to the rank of a low-level commander under leader Joseph Kony.
• He was captured in 2009 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and spent 14 years in detention before his trial concluded.
• Despite his conviction, Kwoyelo avoided the death penalty due to his young age at recruitment and his expressed remorse.