Court to view LRA video footage in Kwoyelo trial
The former commander of the LRA Thomas Kwoyelo in the dock yesterday. PHOTO / ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- The video will not reveal his identity for security reasons, but will back up the evidence he gave last evening before a panel of three justices.
The International Crimes Division of the High Court is today expected to view a video that was captured by a police officer 18 years ago when the rebels of the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) attacked the two internally displaced people’s camps of Pagak and Lokodi.
The video will not reveal his identity for security reasons, but will back up the evidence he gave last evening before a panel of three justices.
The ongoing trial involves a former rebel of the LRA, Thomas Kwoyelo, who is accused of committing heinous crimes against the civilian population in Northern Uganda led by Joseph Kony.
According to the Chief State Attorney, Lillian Alum Omara; H45 is a police officer still in active service, who photographed and took videos of both crime scenes at Pagak and Lokodi camps, as well as taking pictures of victims at both Lacor and Gulu hospitals with fire burns, cuts on their bodies and others had bullet wounds.
The witness had last evening told a penal of Justices; Michael Elubu, Duncan Gaswaga and Stephen Mubiru, that he filmed and witnessed the exhumation of bodies from the graveyards as people identified them, adding that they were buried after post-mortem.
He was the prosecution witness number 20. Earlier yesterday, the 21st prosecution witness took to the court to testify.
He was also going by a pseudo name of H44, a retired police officer.
He said he made post-mortem requests following the attacks on the two aforementioned camps, including tracing for the relatives to identify those killed in the attacks.
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H44 told court that on May 17, 2004, at around 9am while at Gulu Police Station, he received information that Pagak camp had been attacked by Kony rebels the previous day.
He added that on May 20, 2004, they again received information that there was another attack on Lokodi camp.
He revealed that 18 bodies from Pagak camp and 25 from Lokodi were examined; while some were carried away by relatives.
“At Lokodi, I witnessed several human flesh scattered in and around the camp, several houses burnt, food stuffs looted, civilians desperate as they survived on mangoes and a young goat whose mother was taken,” Witness H44 told court. He further testified that they got into a discussion with the camp commander of Pagak and members present; who informed them that these attacks were made by the LRA rebels who came from northern Guruguru hills in military attire; armed with pangas, adding that 39 civilians were killed and 544 houses burnt.
But during cross-examination, one of Kwoyelo’s lawyers, Caleb Alaka, demanded to know whether the camp commandant told him who had led the operation of the attacks.
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In response, the witness said: “He didn’t; but the phone calls from the leaders of that area told them it was the LRA that attacked.”
Charges
Thomas Kwoyelo is charged with 93 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity alleged to have been committed in Pagak internally displaced people’s camp (IDP) in Amuru District between 1993 and 2005.
