The LRA
Since 1990, a terrifying regime lead by Joseph Kony, has brutalized Uganda. The rebel group that was formed is known as The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Kony is specific with who he attacks and why. He targets innocent children and forces them to become part of his rebel forces. In the last 24 years, the LRA have been driven out of the country by the Ugandan army. As a result, Kony and his movement now occupy territory in Congo and southern Sudan. Kony and his forces aledge that they are fighting for the interest of the Acholi people. LRA believe that they were ordered by the Holy Spirit to overthrow the Ugandan government. Kony gained increasing power and began abducting thousands and thousands of children to grow his forces. The result was that the children were turned into killers who prayed upon villages while pretending to be military soldiers. These child soldiers, who number upward of five thousand, attack and kill people with machetes, stones, swords, and guns. Their attacks are brutal and devastating. The children who are captured in these raids are turned into soldiers, sex slaves, porters, and cooks. They are even forced to turn on their own families, killing and torturing them. This is often the first part of their indoctrination, so they won’t even think about returning home.
The Ugandan Government’s efforts to put down the rebels have mostly failed. Each time an agreement was close, Kony would retreat. Although the Ugandan army have weakened the LRA, the attacks continue and civilians are at great risk. Complicating things even further is that communication in the country is very poor and many attacks take place in far off villages and cities. Kony even ordered the execution of one of his own deputies because he participated in peace talks. Because there have been no resolutions from peace talks, despite frequent demonstrations, the violent crackdowns continue, making Uganda difficult to govern. Mass atrocities continue and Kony is still feared, but he is no longer in full control of his forces. The warlord is a fugitive who is wanted by the international criminal court for his war crimes. He had found refuge in an area controlled by Sudan. The pressure is on International policymakers in the effort to capture Kony. He has been hidden by Sudanese troops and there are reports that they are also providing the LRA with supplies and munitions. “There can be no doubt anymore that Kony frequently uses Kafia Kingi as a safe haven,” said Paul Ronan, director of the Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative. The chances of capturing Kony are impacted by the poor and tense diplomatic relationship between Sudan and the US.
The Ugandan Government’s efforts to put down the rebels have mostly failed. Each time an agreement was close, Kony would retreat. Although the Ugandan army have weakened the LRA, the attacks continue and civilians are at great risk. Complicating things even further is that communication in the country is very poor and many attacks take place in far off villages and cities. Kony even ordered the execution of one of his own deputies because he participated in peace talks. Because there have been no resolutions from peace talks, despite frequent demonstrations, the violent crackdowns continue, making Uganda difficult to govern. Mass atrocities continue and Kony is still feared, but he is no longer in full control of his forces. The warlord is a fugitive who is wanted by the international criminal court for his war crimes. He had found refuge in an area controlled by Sudan. The pressure is on International policymakers in the effort to capture Kony. He has been hidden by Sudanese troops and there are reports that they are also providing the LRA with supplies and munitions. “There can be no doubt anymore that Kony frequently uses Kafia Kingi as a safe haven,” said Paul Ronan, director of the Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative. The chances of capturing Kony are impacted by the poor and tense diplomatic relationship between Sudan and the US.