Uganda’s High Court has confirmed terrorism and aggravated human trafficking charges against four men accused of recruiting and transporting children to armed rebel camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The ruling was delivered by the International Crimes Division of the High Court, presided over by Justice Andrew K. Bashaija, following a pre-trial hearing that found sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.
The accused: Twaha Kasaija, Ismail Kisambu, Muhammed Nabanji and Twaha Mutebi, also known as Sheikh, are alleged to have recruited and transported children from Kyankwanzi and Wakiso districts through deception and by exploiting their vulnerability.
According to prosecutors, the children were taken to the DRC for purposes that included forced labour, sexual exploitation and participation in armed conflict.
In its decision delivered on July 30, 2026, the court said the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to support all the charges.
The court noted that many of the alleged victims were minors, including children as young as four years old.
Prosecution evidence also linked the accused to the recruitment, movement and transfer of children to camps operated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), where the children were allegedly subjected to military-style training.
The court concluded that there were substantial grounds to believe the accused committed the offences alleged and ordered that the case proceed to trial before either a single judge or a panel of judges.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was represented by Chief State Attorney Richard Birivumbuka and Senior State Attorney George Bigira.
The case forms part of Uganda’s broader efforts to prosecute offences related to terrorism and human trafficking under the jurisdiction of the International Crimes Division of the High Court.
