Thomas Kwoyelo
{{Short description|Ugandan war criminal}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Thomas Kwoyelo
| image =
| caption = Thomas Kwoyelo during a trial in October, 2016.
| birth_date = 1974
| allegiance = 25px Lord's Resistance Army
| serviceyears = 1987 – 2009
| rank = Commander and Colonel
| known_for = Allegations of war crimes, rape and murder
| battles = Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
}}
Thomas Kwoyelo is a former Commander and Colonel of the Lord's Resistance Army from Uganda.{{Cite news |date=2024-01-19 |title=Thomas Kwoyelo: Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebel commander on trial |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68025152 |access-date=2024-01-19 |language=en-GB|newspaper=BBC News}} Starting from 1996, there were 12 counts and 52 criminal charges laid on Kwoyelo. He was accused of rape and murder.{{Cite web |last=Kersten |first=Mark |date=2011-07-12 |title=Uganda's Controversial First War Crimes Trial: Thomas Kwoyelo |url=https://justiceinconflict.org/2011/07/12/ugandas-controversial-first-war-crimes-trial-thomas-kwoyelo/ |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=Justice in Conflict |language=en}}
In 2009 Kwoyelo was captured while in a shootout against the Ugandan Armed Forces, he was shot twice and injured. After recovering he was held in captivity for three months before being charged with war crimes, at which point he was transferred to a standard security prison in Uganda. In 2011 he appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to more than 90 charges of war crimes, including murder and hostage-taking.{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/07/07/uganda-qa-trial-thomas-kwoyel|website=Human Rights Watch|date=7 July 2011|title=Uganda: Q&A on the trial of Thomas Kwoyelo}} Due to the scale of the case against him, Kwoyelo's trial did not begin for over a decade, and he spent fourteen years in pre-trial detention. On 19 January 2024, Kwoyelo's trial finally began. He was the first LRA commander to be put on trial by Uganda (Dominic Ongwen had previously been tried by the International Criminal Court).{{cite news|url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/africa/2024-01-19-ugandan-lords-resistance-army-rebel-commander-on-trial/|title=Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebel commander on trial|newspaper=The Star|date=19 January 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Kwoyelo to line up 50 witnesses for his defence |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/NV_178840 |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=New Vision |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Court to rule on whether Kwoyelo has case to answer |url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/court-to-rule-on-whether-kwoyelo-has-case-to-answer-4460560 |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=Monitor |language=en}}
On August 13, 2024, a Ugandan court found Thomas Kwoyelo guilty of forty-four counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-13 |title=Uganda Former LRA commander Thomas Kwoyelo convicted of war crimes in Uganda |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/13/former-lra-commander-thomas-kwoyelo-convicted-of-war-crimes-in-uganda |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=The Guardian |language=en}} On October 25, the court found him guilty of 44 counts, including murder, rape, kidnapping and robbery. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-25 |title=Ex-rebel gets 40-year jail term in landmark Ugandan case |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20g6n6eg5po?at_campaign_type=owned&at_medium=social&at_link_id=8F37D072-92C7-11EF-80D2-9A12EF02EBBE&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_ptr_name=twitter&at_link_origin=BBCAfrica&at_link_type=web_link&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_format=link |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.bbc.com|language=en}}
On December 16, 2024, a special court ordered the Ugandan state to pay up to US$2,500 per person to the victims of Thomas Kwoyelo.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-17 |title=Ugandan court asks government to pay LRA war crimes' victims |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/ugandan-court-asks-government-to-pay-lra-war-crimes-victims-/7904267.html |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Voice of America|language=en}}