what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Hey, this is Sham Jaff, your very own news curator. Each week, I highlight some of the biggest stories from regions and countries that are historically underreported in Western media. My goal is to burst our Western-centric bubbles, and expand the view we hold of the world we share with one another. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime by replying to this mail. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, you sign up at whathappenedlastweek.com.

Today in the newsletter: Issue #365 takes you to Uganda. There's a really significant trial happening there. A former leader from the Lord's Resistance Army (an extremist Christian group) is on trial. The LRA caused a lot of damage to northern Uganda. Many people died, many abducted and scarred for life – physically as well as psychologically. While researching this, I tried to focus on the different victims' perspectives – a piece of 'the typical perpetrator story' that I find often goes underreported in media coverage. Let me know if this made a difference to you.

A leader from the LRA is finally put on trial in Uganda

What happened
There's a big trial happening in Uganda. A man named Thomas Kwoyelo, who used to be a child soldier and later become a leader of a Christian extremist organization, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), is in court. He is facing more than 70 serious charges, such as murder, rape, and forcing children to become soldiers.

Why this matters
This is the first time a leader from the LRA is being tried in a Ugandan court. It's a big moment for Uganda's legal system, and for bringing justice to the victims for the crimes committed by the LRA.

Tell me more
The trial is being held in Gulu, at the International Crimes Division of the High Court. This court is Uganda's version of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Kwoyelo has pleaded not guilty, and his trial has been a long time coming – 14 years, to be exact. Analysts say his case is incredibly complex. Gulu, where the trial is taking place, is in northern Uganda, the same region that suffered heavily under the LRA.

Give me some background on the LRA
Joseph Kony started the LRA back in 1987. He claimed he was fighting for a "multi-party democracy" based on the Bible's Ten Commandments and radical Acholi nationalism. But others argue the LRA was more of a cult centered around Kony himself, without any real political agenda. The group is infamous for its horrendous human rights abuses – think murder, abduction, mutilation, child sex slavery, and recruiting kids as soldiers. They initially operated in northern Uganda before moving into the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. Kwoyelo was captured in 2009. The LRA isn't very active these days, but Kony is still wanted by the ICC.

What are the chances Kwoyelo gets maximum life sentence?
As for Kwoyelo's trial, it's hard to say if he'll get the maximum life sentence. There's precedent for a more lenient sentence, like in the case of another LRA leader who got 25 years due to being kidnapped as a child. Kwoyelo also claims he was kidnapped by the LRA when young. Many ex-LRA members have been forgiven in Uganda, but not Kwoyelo, which raises some questions about the motives behind this decision.

What now?
To keep communities informed, the trial's team, including lawyers and victims' advocates, visits areas affected by the LRA. But there's some concern about the trial's pace. Human Rights Watch is worried about the delays and points out the limited accountability for crimes committed during the conflict, including those by government forces. There's also fear that funding issues could cause further delays, which could impact justice for the victims.

But beyond the trial itself, there's a human story that's often overlooked in the media coverage. What happens to the kids who were kidnapped by the LRA? How are they rebuilding their lives, and what support do they need (some want to buy a plot of land to help them make a fresh start, and some need money to cover medical costs for injuries obtained in wars)? There's also the challenge of living alongside former LRA commanders who have been granted amnesty. Some survivors have turned to traditional Acholi reconciliation ceremonies, like Mato Oput, yet they still face stigma. Groups like the Kony War Victims Association are working on these issues. For a more in-depth look at these personal stories, Uganda's Daily Monitor and NTVUganda (check out this recent mini-documentary on young mothers who were abducted during the LRA insurgency and are being discriminated against following their return from captivity) are valuable sources, often highlighting the victims' pursuit of justice and the complex social dynamics in a post-LRA Uganda.

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The rest of Issue #365 takes you to Mexico's high and lower murder rate and what that means for the upcoming presidential elections. Plus, a good deal of good news like dusty ice on Mars, a pissed-off wannabe-imperialist China about Taiwan's elections, the latest African country that's free of malaria, 89 new species of plants and fungi, a better life for black rhinos in Kenya, fewer smokers worldwide, and so many more. By the end of this issue, you'll also know more about African architecture and Asia's most eligible (former) bachelor and an infamous plane crash in the Andes.

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