A Little Justice

A Ugandan court this week ordered the government to pay reparations to victims of atrocities committed by former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Thomas Kwoyelo, marking a significant step in addressing the impact of the group’s brutal insurgency decades ago, Voice of America reported.

Kwoyelo was sentenced in October to 40 years in prison after being found guilty on 44 charges, including murder, rape, torture, kidnapping, and crimes against humanity. Captured in 2009 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he became the first senior LRA member to be convicted in Uganda.

In its Monday ruling, the International Crimes Division Court awarded varying amounts of compensation to victims: Families of each deceased person can receive $2,700, while those who suffered physical injuries are entitled to $1,000. Victims of gender-based violence, including rape and forced marriage, will receive $1,350.

The court reasoned Kwoyelo was unable to pay the compensation because of his “indigent” status, according to Africa News. It added that the government should compensate the victims, citing the scale of the atrocities as a failure of the state to protect its citizens.

“Atrocities committed on a scale warranting transitional justice is considered a manifestation of a failure on the part of the government that triggers a responsibility for the state to pay reparations to the victims,” said Justice Duncan Gaswaga, according to VOA.

Founded in the 1980s by Joseph Kony, the LRA waged a two-decade insurgency in northern Uganda, marked by massacres, abductions, and severe human rights violations.

While Kony remains at large despite a 2005 International Criminal Court indictment, the LRA’s influence has diminished, though survivors continue to demand justice.

While victims, lawmakers, and advocates welcomed the ruling, the court’s order faces challenges because it lacks enforcement power.

Observers said that effective reparations rely on parliamentary approval to establish a trust fund for victims and allocate an annual budget.

Lawmakers criticized delays in passing the Transitional Justice Bill, which is aimed at addressing accountability, reparations, and truth-telling.

The draft law has remained in limbo since 2019, despite calls for reparations and institutional reforms. Victims and advocates hope this ruling will pressure the government to act swiftly.