Victims of Uganda’s infamous Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) expressed disappointment on Friday over the 40-year prison sentence given to former commander Thomas Kwoyelo for war crimes, including murder, rape, and torture. However, Kwoyelo will only serve an additional 25 years since he has already spent 15 years in custody.
Grace Apio, a victim, criticized the sentence as too lenient for those who endured horrific atrocities. “We feel very bad… we’re really suffering,” she stated, emphasizing that the ruling could send a dangerous message to potential future perpetrators.
Kwoyelo received a reduced sentence due to being abducted by the LRA as a child and expressing remorse. The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, emerged in the late 1980s with the goal of overthrowing the Ugandan government, committing widespread brutality, including child abductions.
Kwoyelo denied the charges and claimed that only Kony could be held accountable for the group’s actions. His lawyer, Evans Ochieng, announced plans to appeal the decision, expressing dissatisfaction with both the conviction and the sentence.
Human Rights Watch characterized the trial as a “rare opportunity for justice” for victims of the prolonged conflict, which forced the LRA out of Uganda in 2005. The group’s activities have diminished in recent years, but Kony remains at large, indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2005.