Uganda court convicts LRA rebel commander of war crimes

FILE PHOTO: Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) Colonel Thomas Kwoyelo is assisted by Ugandan army upon arrival at Entebbe air force base March 4, 2009. REUTERS/James Akena (UGANDA)/File Photo

KAMPALA (Reuters) - A Ugandan court on Tuesday found a commander in the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Thomas Kwoyelo, guilty of dozens of war crimes, the first time a senior member of the group has been tried by Uganda's judiciary.

Founded in the late 1980s with the aim of overthrowing the government, the LRA terrorised Ugandans under the leadership of Joseph Kony for nearly 20 years as it battled the military from bases in northern Uganda.