Charles Wesley Mumbere king of the Rwenzururu in western Uganda on Tuesday appeared before the International Crimes Division of the High Court sitting in Kampala.
The King including 192 people are accused of being behind the 2016 Kasese clashes in which more than 100 people died.
On November 26 and 27, 2016 in Kasese, police and military forces descended on the Rwenzururu Palace, at the climax of long-standing tension, between the government of Uganda and the Rwenzururu Kingdom. , At least 153 people, including children, died during the raid.
In the months leading up to the November killings, the government said it was trying to break up an alleged armed movement in the region, known as Kirumiramutima (the Strong-Hearted), which it contends includes at least to some extent, members of the royal guards in the service of the Omusinga.
Royal guards themselves are not an armed force and do not constitute an armed group under international humanitarian law.
On November 25, the army, driving armed personal vehicles and supported by police, began patrolling Kasese. Community members were puzzled about the heavy deployment but some speculated that it was linked to the recent raids in Kabarole.
On the morning of November 26, soldiers circled the area of the kingdom’s administration offices on Alexander Street, going around the block several times, witnesses said.
In mid-morning, soldiers ordered shopkeepers to close their businesses and demanded access to the kingdom offices. Royal guards closed the doors and refused them entry. No official kingdom representative was present.
Gunfire began shortly thereafter. People heard soldiers yelling “Come out!” in Kiswahili. The military shot live ammunition inside and outside the office.
The soldiers eventually used ladders to scale the walls, pierced the roof and fatally shot those inside. Eight royal guards, two of them women, were killed, and soldiers removed computers and documents, numerous witnesses said.
Several people were arrested in connection with this palace attack and have since remained in detention. 167 civilians, are charged with treason, terrorism, and murder among other offenses.
