By CHIMPREPORTS
Victims of atrocities in Thomas Kwoyelo’s case have asked the Court to facilitate the repatriation and relocation of their loved ones from Pagak Parish, in Amuru District.
Thomas Kwoyelo, alias Latoni, a former Sinia brigade commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels, is facing 78 charges of war crimes and Crimes against humanity before the International Crimes Division of the High Court (ICD).
According to Denis Lemoyi, a former Camp Command and of Pagak, internally displaced people’s camp, 51 people were massacred when the LRA attacked Pagak IDP camp on May 16, 2004.
Lemoyi revealed that during the two-week-outreach by the defense lawyers and the Judges of the Court, many victims said they want the Court and the government to help them in relocating the bodies of their loved ones, who were buried at the IDP-camps during the War.
However, Justice Susan Okalany, one of the Judges of the ICD, told Journalists during a stakeholders meeting at Bomah Hotel in Gulu that the Victims should wait when the Case of Kwoyelo is completed, then the Court can see how to support them in the relocation of their loved ones.
Justice Okalany added that the best way to address all these issues of the victims is to pass the transitional Justice Policy into a law so that it addresses all those issues like reparations, compensation among others.
Stella Angel Lanaam, who is Founder of War Victims and Children Networking, said that many victims of the LRA war face a number of challenges like Stigma, lack of school fees, Poverty among others.
Ms. Lanaam urged the Government to allocate special funds to address issues of the victims of the LRA war.
The LRA, led by their fugitive leader, Joseph Kony, killed and abducted thousands of people in Northern Uganda between 1987 and 2006.
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