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Kwoyelo trial suspended due to COVID-19
Thomas Kwoyelo
By Wilfred Okot
The trail of Thomas Kwoyelo, a former commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is hanging in suspense over COVID-19.
Judges scheduled the trial, which resumed on March 9 in Gulu after a two months break to run for three consecutive weeks where the prosecution was expected to complete a key segment of evidence.
During the proceedings held from March 9 to 13 four prosecution witnesses testified about killings allegedly perpetrated under Kwoyelo command.
However on March 19 during the second week of the proceedings a short adjournment was made until March 24 in response to a presidential decree directing for the immediate closure of all schools, public places of worship and other mass gatherings for the next 32 days to curb the spreads of COVID-19 in Uganda.
The adjournment was necessitated to allow judges and other court officials collect their children from school.
Kwoyelo whose trial began in September 28 faces 93 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed between January 1995 and December 2005 in Northern Uganda
A panel of four judges Justice Duncan Gaswagga, Jane Persis Kiggundu, Michael Elubu and Stephen Mubiru are residing over his trails.
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