Jump to content

Lord's Resistance Army insurgency

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Second Ugandan Civil War)
Lord's Resistance Army insurgency

Fire in Parabongo IDP camp, Uganda
Date1987 – present
(37 years)
Location
Northern Uganda (until 2006), South Sudan, eastern DR Congo, Central African Republic
Status

Ongoing (Low-level)

  • Founder and leader of the LRA Joseph Kony goes into hiding
  • Senior LRA commander Dominic Ongwen surrenders to American forces in the Central African Republic and is tried at the Hague[8][9]
  • Majority of LRA installations and encampments located in South Sudan and Uganda abandoned and dismantled
  • Small scale LRA activity continues in eastern DR Congo, and the Central African Republic[1]
Belligerents
 Uganda
 Zaire (until 1997)
 DR Congo (from 1997)
 Central African Republic (from 2008)[1]
 South Sudan
 Arrow Boys
 UFDR
United Nations MONUC[2]
Wagner Group (since April 2024)[3]
Supported by:
 United States
(2011–2017)[4][5][6]		 Lord's Resistance Army
Supported by:
 Sudan (1994–2002)[7]
Allied Democratic Forces
Commanders and leaders

Uganda Yoweri Museveni
Uganda Robinah Nabbanja
Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi
Democratic Republic of the Congo Sama Lukonde
Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Central African Republic Félix Moloua
South Sudan Salva Kiir
United Nations Bintou Keita

Former:
 Joseph Kony
Vincent Otti Executed
Raska Lukwiya †
Okot Odhiambo †
Dominic Ongwen Surrendered
Alphonse Lamola
Doctor Achaye Surrendered
Units involved

Uganda UPDF
Democratic Republic of the Congo FARDC
Central African Republic FACA
SPLA

United States SOF		 No specific units
Strength

2002: Uganda 65,000−75,000[11]
2010: Uganda 46,800[12]
2014: Uganda 1,500[13]

United States 300 advisers[14]		 1990: 200−800[15]
1998: 6,000[15]
2007: 840−3,000[16]
2014: 240[17]
2022: 200−1,000[18]
Casualties and losses
Unknown ~600 killed (2009–2010)[19]
100,000+ killed[20]
400,000[21]–430,000+[22] displaced
Lord's Resistance
Army insurgency
Conflict history
Related articles

The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan militant religious extremist group, against the government of Uganda. Following the Ugandan Civil War, militant Joseph Kony formed the Lord's Resistance Army and launched an insurgency against the newly installed President Yoweri Museveni. The stated goal was to establish a Christian state based on the Ten Commandments. Currently, there is low-level LRA activity in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. Kony proclaims himself the 'spokesperson' of God and a spirit medium.

The insurgency has become one of Africa's longest conflicts and has resulted in a lasting humanitarian crisis. The LRA has been accused by the International Criminal Court of widespread human rights violations, including mutilation, torture, slavery, rape, the abduction of civilians, the use of child soldiers, and a number of massacres.[23] By 2004, the LRA had abducted more than 20,000 children, caused the displacement of 1.5 million civilians, and killed an estimation of 100,000 civilians.[24][25][26][27]

Background

[edit]

The National Resistance Army (NRA), commanded by Yoweri Museveni, overthrew President Tito Okello in January 1986. In retaliation for the Ugandan Army's actions in the Luwero triangle,[28][29] the NRA committed numerous acts of brutality against the Acholi. Fearing the loss of their customary dominance over the national military, some Acholis rebelled. By August, the northern districts held by the new government forces had erupted into a full-fledged popular insurrection.

Timeline

[edit]

Early history (1987–1994)

[edit]
Main article: Lord's Resistance Army insurgency (1987–1994)
Further information: War in Uganda (1986–1994)

In January 1987, Joseph Kony made his first appearance as a spirit medium, one of many who emerged following the initial success of the Holy Spirit Movement of Alice Auma.

Former Uganda People's Democratic Army commander Odong Latek convinced Kony to adopt conventional guerrilla warfare tactics, primarily surprise attacks on civilian targets, such as villages. The LRA also occasionally carried out large-scale attacks to underline the inability of the government to protect the populace. Until 1991, the LRA raided the populace for supplies, which were carried away by villagers who were abducted for short periods of time. The fact that some NRA units were known for their brutal actions ensured that the LRA were given at least passive support by segments of the Acholi population.[30]

March 1991 saw the start of "Operation North", which combined efforts to destroy the LRA while cutting away its roots of support among the population through heavy-handed tactics.[31] As part of Operation North, Acholi Betty Oyella Bigombe, the Minister charged with ending the insurgency, created the Arrow Boys, a local militia mostly armed with bows, arrows, and other traditional weapons as a form of local defense. As the LRA was armed with modern weaponry, the Arrow Boys were severely underpowered.

The creation of the Arrow Groups angered Kony, who began to feel that he no longer had the support of the population. In response, the LRA mutilated numerous Acholi whom they believed to be government supporters. While the government efforts were a failure, the LRA reaction caused many Acholi to finally turn against the insurgency. However, this was tempered by the deep-seated antagonism towards the occupying government forces.

The conflict forces many civilians to live in internally displaced person (IDP) camps.

Following Operation North, Bigombe initiated the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of the LRA and the government. The LRA asked for a general amnesty for their combatants and stated that they would not surrender but were willing to "return home." However, the government's stance was hampered by disagreement over the credibility of the LRA negotiators and political infighting. In particular, the military had learned that Kony was negotiating with the Sudanese government for support while talking to Bigombe and felt that Kony was simply trying to buy time.[30]

At a second meeting on 10 January 1994, Kony asked for six months to regroup his troops. By early February the tone of the negotiations was growing increasingly acrimonious, and following a meeting on 2 February, the LRA broke off negotiations stating that they felt that the NRA was trying to entrap them. Four days later, President Yoweri Museveni announced a seven-day deadline for the LRA to surrender.[30] This ultimatum ended the Bigombe Initiative.

Spillover into neighboring countries (1994–2002)

[edit]
Main article: Lord's Resistance Army insurgency (1994–2002)

Two weeks after Museveni delivered his ultimatum of 6 February 1994, it was reported that LRA fighters had crossed the northern border and established bases in southern Sudan with the approval of the Khartoum government.[30] Sudanese aid was a response to Ugandan support for the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) fighting in the civil war in the south of the country. Also, convinced that the Acholi were now collaborating with the Museveni government, Kony began to target civilians with his increased military strength. Mutilations became commonplace (especially cutting off ears, lips, and nose), and 1994 saw the first mass abduction of children and youth.

The most infamous of these was the Aboke abductions of 139 female students in October 1996. As most of the LRA combatants are abducted children, a military offensive against the LRA is widely perceived by the Acholi as a massacre of victims. Government attempts to destroy the rebels are thus viewed as another cause for grievance by the Acholi. The moral ambiguity of this situation, in which abducted young rebels are both the victims and perpetrators of brutal acts, is central to the conflicted attitudes of many Acholi towards the rebels.

The government's response was a scorched-earth policy ordering all Acholis to leave their homes in 48 hours and move to "protected villages" beginning in 1996, later called Internally Displaced People's Camps. This further deepened the antagonistic attitude that many Acholi had toward the government, especially as the population continued to be attacked by the LRA even within the "protected camps." The camps were crowded, unsanitary, miserable places to live[32] and have been described as death camps.[33] World Health Organization data indicated that these camps caused the death of ten times as many people as the LRA.[33]

Meanwhile, in 1997 the Sudanese government of the National Islamic Front began to recede from its previous hardline stance. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US, the relationship between Sudan and Uganda abruptly changed. Cross-border tensions eased as support to proxy forces fell. Some of the hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by the war began to return home. The number of people displaced by the conflict declined to about half a million, and people began to talk openly about the day when the "protected camps" would be disbanded.[34]

Operation Iron Fist and continued insurgency (2002–2005)

[edit]
A government soldier guarding the Labuje IDP camp, Kitgum, Uganda
Main article: Lord's Resistance Army insurgency (2002–2005)

In March 2002, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) launched a massive military offensive, named "Operation Iron Fist", against the LRA bases in southern Sudan, with agreement from the National Islamic Front. This agreement, coupled with the return of Ugandan forces that were deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo upon the official end of the Second Congo War, created what the Ugandan government felt was an ideal situation in which to end a conflict that had become both an embarrassment and political liability.[35] After several months of uncertainty, LRA forces began crossing back into Uganda and carrying out attacks on a scale of brutality not seen since 1995 to 1996, resulting in widespread displacement and suffering in regions, such as Soroti, that had never previously been touched by the insurgency.[36]

A series of local initiatives spearheaded by traditional and religious leaders as well as diplomatic initiatives during these years failed, especially since Kony's negotiating position remained uncertain, but the conflict gained unprecedented international coverage. During a November 2003 field visit to Uganda, United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland stated, "I cannot find any other part of the world that is having an emergency on the scale of Uganda, that is getting such little international attention."[37] In December 2003, Ugandan President Museveni referred the LRA to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to determine if the LRA is guilty of international war crimes.

From the middle of 2004 on, rebel activity dropped markedly under intense military pressure. The government was also the target of increasingly pointed criticism from the international community for its failure to end the conflict. International aid agencies questioned the Ugandan government's reliance on military force and its commitment to a peaceful resolution. The army also admitted that it had recruited child soldiers who escaped the LRA into the military.[38]

In mid-September 2005, a band of LRA fighters, led by Vincent Otti, crossed into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the first time. President Museveni declared that, if Congolese authorities did not disarm the LRA combatants, the UPDF would be sent across the border in pursuit.[39] This sparked a diplomatic row between the governments of the DRC and Uganda, with both militaries making a show of force along their border, while the Congolese ambassador to the United Nations sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General demanding that an economic embargo be placed on Uganda in retaliation.

Peace talks and truce (2006–2008)

[edit]
Main article: 2006–2008 Juba talks

A series of meetings were held in Juba starting in July 2006 between the government of Uganda and the LRA. The talks were mediated by Riek Machar, the Vice President of Southern Sudan,[40] and by the Community of Sant'Egidio.[41] The talks, which resulted in a ceasefire by September 2006, were described as the best chance for a negotiated settlement since the peace initiative of Betty Bigombe in 1994.

These talks were agreed to after Joseph Kony released a video in May in which he denied committing atrocities and seemed to call for an end to hostilities, in response to an announcement by Museveni that he would guarantee the safety of Kony if peace was agreed to by July.[42] In late June 2006, the Government of Southern Sudan formally invited Uganda to attend peace talks,[43] and on 14 July 2006, talks began in Juba.[44] On 4 August 2006, Vincent Otti declared a unilateral ceasefire and asked the Ugandan government to reciprocate.[45] ICC indictee Raska Lukwiya was killed in battle on 12 August 2006.[46]

The government and the LRA signed a truce on 26 August 2006. Under the terms of the agreement, LRA forces will leave Uganda and gather in two assembly areas protected by the government of Sudan. The Ugandan government agreed not to attack those areas. LRA rebels had begun gathering in the assembly areas by mid-September.[47] Talks continued to be hindered by demands and counter-demands. Meanwhile, the government began a process of creating "satellite camps" to decongest the main IDP camps.[48]

In a broader context, the government of Southern Sudan viewed the talks as a means of ridding itself of a foreign army that was complicating its delicate relationship with the Khartoum government. The request by the Ugandan Government for the ICC to suspend war crimes indictments against leaders of the LRA was condemned by international human rights groups but largely supported by leaders and civilians within northern Uganda.[49]

By mid-2007, thousands of IDPs had moved into the decongestion camps. However, the populace remained cautious about the prospect of a peace deal, with many refusing to return to their ancestral homes before a definitive end to the insurgency.[50]

Following a period in which the peace talks were suspended, the Juba Initiative Project enabled the resumption of the talks in May 2007, thanks to the efforts of the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for LRA-affected areas, Joaquim Chissano. The talks were again mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan, but with the support of the United Nations and logistic facilitation from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).[51]

On 20 August 2007, Uganda declared that it was seeking legal advice on setting up a war crimes court.[52] In November 2007, an LRA delegation led by Martin Ojul journeyed to Kampala to restate its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Ojul later led the delegation on a tour of northern Uganda to meet victims of the insurgency and ask their forgiveness. However, reports surfaced that LRA deputy commander Otti had been executed on or around 8 October 2007 over an internal power struggle with Kony.[53]

Renewed fighting (2008–present)

[edit]
See also: 2008–2009 Garamba offensive and 2008 Christmas massacres

In February 2008, LRA launched its first known attack in the Central African Republic in Bassigbiri, Haut-Mbomou. In the next month, LRA raided the first major town in Haut-Mbomou, Obo.[54]

In June 2008, diplomats reported that the Lord's Resistance Army had bought new weapons and was recruiting new soldiers, adding 1,000 recruits to the 600 soldiers it already had. At about the same time, Uganda, South Sudan, and Congo-Kinshasa agreed to a plan to crush the movement together;[55] the South Sudanese Government claimed that the Lord's Resistance Army killed 14 of their soldiers in a raid on June 7 2008, in Nabanga, DR Congo. [56]

The LRA was alleged to have killed at least 400 people in attacks on a number of villages in the DR Congo on and after Christmas Day, 2008.[57] Throughout 2009, the LRA was blamed for several attacks in Southern Sudan, DR Congo, and Central African Republic.[58] In March 2010, news emerged about a December 2009 massacre in DR Congo perpetrated by the LRA.

In May 2010, US President Barack Obama signed the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act into law. In October 2011, Obama announced the deployment of 100 US troops to aid other anti-LRA forces in subduing LRA leader Joseph Kony, citing the aforementioned act in a letter to the heads of both houses of Congress.[4]

On 23 March 2012, the African Union announced its intentions to send an international brigade of 5,000 military troops "from Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Congo, countries where Kony's reign of terror has been felt over the years ... to join the hunt for rebel leader Joseph Kony and to "neutralize" him. According to the statement, "the mission would commence on 24 March 2012 and the search would last until Kony was caught",[59] after which the task force would be disbanded. The effort is Ugandan-led and backed by the US with the 100 advisers already there, who are offering advice, intelligence and training, along with equipment.[60] The brigade established its headquarters in Yambio, South Sudan, close to the border with the DRC, and is commanded by a Ugandan officer; while, a Congolese officer has oversight of intelligence operations.[61]

On 12 May 2012, Ugandan soldiers with the African Union brigade captured a senior LRA leader in the Central African Republic (CAR), Caesar Achellam, a veteran rebel commander with the rank of Major General. Because he was a leading military strategist for the LRA, Achellam's arrest signified a considerable setback for Joseph Kony's fight to evade capture.[62][63]

On 6 June, the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, released an initial report covering the activities of the LRA from 2009 to 2012. The report itself stated that "at least 45 children have been killed and maimed" during this time period and at least "591 children, including 268 girls have been abducted". Though it was noted by Radhika Coomaraswamy, the UN special representative on children and conflict, that the "actual numbers of abductions are much higher, these are just the ones we are aware of". The report also stated that the LRA is currently made up of between 300 and 500 fighters, with around half of them being children.[64][65]

The LRA was reported to be in the East CAR town of Djema in 2012[66] but forces pursuing the LRA withdrew in April 2013[67] after the government of the CAR was overthrown by the Séléka Coalition rebels.[68] In November 2013, Kony was reported to be in poor health in the East CAR town of Nzoka[67][68] and Michel Djotodia, president of the CAR, claimed he was negotiating with Kony to surrender.[69] US officials doubted that Kony genuinely wanted to surrender.[67]

In early November 2013, suspected LRA militants attacked five villages in the Western Equatoria region of South Sudan. Three people were killed and one wounded, aside from looting the rebels also set fire to several houses.[70]

On 4 December 2013, 13 LRA militants including senior commander Samuel Kangu were killed in the aftermath of a UPDF ambush in CAR. The rebels were reportedly tracked with the aid of US-provided intelligence.[71]

On 11 December 2013, 19 LRA guerrillas surrendered to African Union troops in Zembio, CAR.[72]

According to UN estimates, at least 65 LRA attacks took place in CAR and DRC during the first quarter of 2014 during which 93 people were reportedly abducted and two killed.[73]

On 7 May 2014, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon stated that senior LRA commanders were stationed in South Sudan's border areas with Sudan and the Central African Republic.[73]

On 20 May 2014, delegates from Uganda, DRC, South Sudan and CAR held a three-day conference in South Sudan regarding the LRA insurgency.[74]

On 13 August 2014, LRA insurgents launched attacks on villages in the vicinity of Billi, DRC, killing 4 people and injuring 2. FARDC troops clashed with the militants before the latter retreated.[75]

On 23 August 2014, 13 LRA hostages escaped from captivity, six days later 12 more hostages followed suit. The escapees were abducted between 2004 and August 2014, and managed to reach Digba and Ango, DRC, respectively, following a FARDC offensive.[76]

Between 28 and 31 December 2014, LRA perpetrated three attacks in the area of Dungu, DRC. Two people were wounded in the aftermath of an attack on Faradje, the village of Mangasaba was looted, and a merchant from Kiliwa was also robbed by the guerrillas.[77]

On 9 January 2015, LRA's second in command Dominic Ongwen surrendered to US troops stationed in CAR. He claimed to have defected from the Ugandan rebellion. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki commented saying, " his defection would be a historic blow to the LRA's command structure."[78]

On 15 January 2015, LRA rebels conducted a number of kidnappings in the villages of Bulumasi and Pangali, Bondo territory, DRC. A total of 10 people were taken hostage during the incident.[79]

On 21 January 2015, LRA militants killed three FARDC soldiers in the aftermath of an ambush conducted at the town of Nangume in the vicinity of Wando, DRC. Dozens of civilians were wounded, three were abducted and two hundred families were also displaced from the area following raids LRA militants.[80]

On 5 February 2015, a band of twenty suspected LRA guerrillas abducted eight people and engaged in looting in the villages of Dizaga and Digba, DRC.[81]

On 16 February 2015, LRA guerrillas killed three people and injured four others, on Road IV, located in the Dungu territory, DRC.[82]

Weapons and ammunition surrendered by LRA defectors in Obo, September 2015

On 12 April 2015, a total of 8 FARDC soldiers went missing in action, following a LRA ambush outside the Mangbangu village, DRC. An unidentified corpse was found in the area, a day after the incident.[83]

On 30 March 2017, the United States Military announced it was ending its anti-LRA campaign, Operation Observant Compass.[84]

Patrol of the Guatemalan contingent of MONUSCO against the LRA activities in Haut-Uele, DR Congo, during "Operation Red Kite",[85] July 2017.

On an unspecified date in April 2017, a United States special forces soldier shot and killed an LRA fighter who drew a weapon on the American. The American had been escorting an African Union peacekeeper when the incident occurred.[86]

On 19 April 2017, Uganda announced that it would begin withdrawing forces from the Central African Republic where it has been trying to hunt down Joseph Kony in the country for 9 years.[87]

On 6 May 2021, LRA commander Dominic Ongwen was sentenced to 25 years in Ugandan prison over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Uganda.

On 7 April 2024 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group conducted an operation in the Haute-Kotto prefecture near the town of Sam Ouandja to apprehend the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, Joseph Kony. While managing to kill some fighters, the operation failed to find the group leader due to him earlier leaving for another base.[88][89]

Impact

[edit]
War violence experienced by abductees[90]
Witnessed a killing 78%
Tied or locked up 68%
Received a severe beating 63%
Forced to steal or destroy property 58%
Forced to abuse dead bodies 23%
Forced to attack a stranger 22%
Forced to kill a stranger 20%
Forced to kill an opposing soldier in battle 15%
Forced to attack a family member or friend 14%
Forced to kill a family member or friend 8%

The insurgency was historically confined to the region known as Acholiland, consisting of the districts of Kitgum, Gulu, and Pader, though since 2002 violence has overflowed into other Ugandan districts. The LRA also operated across the porous border region with Southern Sudan and most recently into the north-eastern Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The plight of the affected people has received little media coverage in the developed world. Not until April 2004 did the UN Security Council issue a formal condemnation. A 2005 poll of humanitarian professionals, media personalities, academics and activists identified the conflict in the north of Uganda as the second worst "forgotten" humanitarian emergency in the world, after the conflicts of the neighbouring DRC.[91]

The US government estimates that up to 12,000 people have been killed in the violence, with many more dying from disease and malnutrition as a direct result of the conflict. Nearly two million civilians have been forced to flee their homes, living in internally displaced person (IDP) camps and within the safety of larger settlements, sleeping on street corners and in other public spaces. The problems of the camps have been expatiated by the government ordering villagers into the camps on pain of being classified as rebels and on occasion shelling those villages who refused to relocate.[92]

While many abductees are taken to carry items looted from raided villages, some are also used as soldiers and sex slaves. The group performs abductions primarily from the Acholi people, who have borne the brunt of the 18-year LRA campaign. The United Nations estimated in the mid-2000s that around 25,000 children have been kidnapped by the LRA since 1987. However, several pieces of research have concluded that the figure was significantly higher. In June 2007, UC Berkeley's Human Rights Center researchers worked with reception centers in northern Uganda to compile a database of 25,000 former abductees that went through reception centers.[93]

By triangulating data from different sources on the number of former abductees, the research conservatively estimates that the LRA has abducted 24,000 to 38,000 children and 28,000 to 37,000 adults as of April 2006. The research further found that while women represented only about a third of all the abductees, they tended to stay longer with the LRA compared to men. Women are forced to serve as sexual and domestic servants. According to a survey of 750 youth in Kitgum and Pader, at least 66,000 youth between the ages of 13 and 30 have been abducted. One-third of all boys and one-sixth of all girls had been taken for at least one day.[90][94]

Of these, 66% of males were taken for longer than two weeks, while the equivalent number for females was 46%. If a female was gone for more than two weeks, there was a one in four chance that she had not returned. Males were again found to be taken for longer periods of time on average, with two in five males that were abducted for more than two weeks not having returned. The number of abductions was greatest in 2002 and 2003, perhaps in retaliation for Operation Iron Fist. However, the average age of abductees has risen from about 13 in 1994 to nearly 18 in 2004, coinciding with the rise in number, and fall in length, of abductions.[90][94]

While the LRA now appears to consist of less than two thousand combatants that are under intense pressure from the Ugandan military, the government has been unable to end the insurgency to date. Ongoing peace negotiations are complicated by an investigation and trial preparation by the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile, military operation is going on. The conflict continues to slow down Uganda's development efforts, costing the poor country's economy a cumulative total of at least $1.33 billion, which is equivalent to 3% of GDP, or $100 million annually.[95]

"Night commuters"

[edit]
A room of child "night commuters"

At the height of the conflict, each night, as many as 40,000 children children between the ages of 8 and 14, referred to as "night commuters" or "night dwellers," would walk up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) from IDP camps to larger towns, especially Gulu, in search of safety and to avoid abduction by the LRA. Refuge was offered at churches, hospitals, bus stations and temporary shelters before the children returned home again each morning. Because of this phenomenon, religious leaders from different denominations staged a one-week solidarity demonstration by sleeping in the streets with the children, which generated further attention of the conflict from the world.[96]

Awareness

[edit]

Initiatives to raise international awareness for these children included the "GuluWalk" and the work of the Resolve Uganda. Night commuters are also the subject of documentaries such as Stolen Children, War/Dance, and Invisible Children.

The Invisible Children documentary sponsored the Global Night Commute, an event similar to GuluWalk. On 29 April 2006, over 80,000 youths from around the world converged on urban centers in 130 major cities around the world in solidarity with displaced Ugandan children. The Invisible Children organization also raised awareness for those in the Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) through its "Displace Me" event held in 15 cities across the US on 28 April 2007. Over 68,000 people participated in the event which required participants to sleep outside in "homes" made out of cardboard, similar to those in the IDPs.

Another program, The Name Campaign, asks people to wear nameplate necklaces imprinted with the first name of one of the thousands of abducted children as a means of raising public awareness.

Danny Glover and Don Cheadle have both been vocal advocates on behalf of the children of Northern Uganda.

On 5 March 2012, the Invisible Children organization posted the Kony 2012 video on YouTube which was widely seen.[97][98][99] As of 22 March, 2023, the film had over 103 million views on video-sharing website YouTube.[100]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "New Vision Online : LRA rebels clashes with CAR forces". Newvision.co.ug. 8 October 2010. Archived from the original on 10 October 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Guatemalan blue helmet deaths stir Congo debate – Democratic Republic of the Congo". 31 January 2006. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Bishop, Mac William (27 April 2024). "Russian Mercenaries Hunt the African Warlord America Couldn't Catch". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Obama orders U.S. troops to help chase down African 'army' leader". CNN. 18 October 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  5. ^ Arieff, Alexis; Ploch, Lauren (15 May 2014). "The Lord's Resistance Army: The U.S. Response" (PDF). fas.org. Congressional Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  6. ^ "U.S. Ends hunt for Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  7. ^ People & Power. "The LRA and Sudan". Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  8. ^ "US forces hold LRA commander". BBC News. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Lord's Resistance Army commanded tried at the Hague". The Guardian. TheGuardian.com. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  10. ^ Ngoupana, Paul-Marin. "Uganda LRA rebels extend reach with new attacks". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Armed forces – Uganda". www.nationsencyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  12. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies; Hackett, James (ed.) (2010-02-03). The Military Balance 2010. London: Routledge.
  13. ^ "Hunting the LRA in Central Africa". VOA. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  14. ^ "On the Hunt for Joseph Kony". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 20 January 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  15. ^ a b Uppsala conflict data expansion. Non-state actor information. Codebook Archived 21 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine pp. 206–209
  16. ^ IRIN • humanitarian news and analysis from Africa, Asia and the Middle East – updated daily Archived 22 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine 30 May 2007. Accessed 3 September 2011.
  17. ^ "Joseph Kony's LRA rebels on the run, focusing on survival". Cbc.ca. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  18. ^ "The last throes of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army". Deutsche Welle. 24 January 2022.
  19. ^ "CONFLICT BAROMETER 2010" (PDF). Hiik.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  20. ^ "Uganda (1987– 2010)". Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  21. ^ "Uganda Civil War". www.globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  22. ^ January 25, 2012, OCHA, "LRA Regional Update: Central African Republic, DR Dongo and South Sudan: January–December 2011."
  23. ^ International Criminal Court (14 October 2005). Warrant of Arrest unsealed against five LRA Commanders Archived 18 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
  24. ^ "Forgiveness for Uganda's former rebels". News.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  25. ^ JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR. (1 April 1996). "Uganda's Christian Rebels Revive War in North". New York Times.
  26. ^ Ruddy Doom and Koen Vlassenroot (1999). "Kony's message: A new Koine? The Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda". African Affairs. 98 (390): 5–36. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a008002. S2CID 111914560.
  27. ^ "Interview with Vincent Otti, LRA second in command" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine and " A leadership based on claims of divine revelations" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine in IRIN In Depth, June 2007.
  28. ^ Doom, R. and K. Vlassenroot. "Kony's message: a new koine? The Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda," African Affairs 98 (390), p. 9
  29. ^ Martin Plaut (6 February 2004). "Profile: Uganda's LRA rebels". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2008.
  30. ^ a b c d O'Kadameri, Billie. "LRA / Government negotiations 1993–94" Archived 17 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine in Okello Lucima, ed., Accord magazine: Protracted conflict, elusive peace: Initiatives to end the violence in northern Uganda Archived 10 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine, 2002.
  31. ^ Gersony, Robert. The Anguish of Northern Uganda: Results of a Field-based Assessment of the Civil Conflicts in Northern Uganda Archived 17 November 2004 at the Wayback Machine, US Embassy Kampala, March 1997, and Amnesty International, Human rights violations by the National Resistance Army Archived 17 November 2004 at the Wayback Machine, December 1991."Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2004. Retrieved 2016-02-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  32. ^ Dolan, Chris. What do you remember? A rough guide to the war in Northern Uganda 1986–2000 Archived 19 October 2004 at the Wayback Machine (PDF), COPE Working Paper No. 33, 2000, p. 19, and Weeks, Willard.Pushing the Envelope: Moving Beyond 'Protected Villages' in Northern Uganda Archived 19 October 2004 at the Wayback Machine (PDF), for UNOCHA Kampala, March 2002, p. 4"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2004. Retrieved 2016-02-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  33. ^ a b Litell, Jonathan (15 April 2014) Sign Warfare Archived 5 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Asymptote, (translated from a French article in Le Monde), Retrieved 16 April 2014
  34. ^ Weeks, p. 36.
  35. ^ No rapid solutions in anti-LRA campaign Archived 21 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine, IRIN PlusNews, 27 May 2002
  36. ^ Behind the Violence: Causes, Consequences and the Search for Solutions to the War in Northern Uganda Archived 27 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine (PDF), Refugee Law Project of Makerere University, Uganda, February 2004, p. 32.
  37. ^ Uganda conflict 'worse than Iraq' Archived 23 July 2004 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 10 November 2003.
  38. ^ Ugandan army recruiting children Archived 5 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, 15 February 2005.
  39. ^ DR Congo militia deadline expires Archived 13 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, 30 September 2005
  40. ^ LRA rebels arrive for Sudan talks Archived 19 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 8 June 2006
  41. ^ "Guerra in Nord Uganda: la fine è a portata di mano" Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Avvenire, 20 August 2006.
  42. ^ Uganda LRA rebels reject amnesty Archived 26 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 7 July 2006.
  43. ^ UGANDA: Gov't to send team to Sudan over proposed LRA talks Archived 11 July 2006 at the Wayback Machine, IRIN, 28 June 2006.
  44. ^ Ceasefire First On Kony Agenda Archived 8 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, AllAfrica (The Monitor), 15 July 2006.
  45. ^ LRA leaders declare ceasefire Archived 24 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, 4 August 2006
  46. ^ Uganda hopeful about rebel talks Archived 21 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 14 August 2006.
  47. ^ Uganda drops peace talks deadline Archived 19 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, 12 September 2006.
  48. ^ UGANDA: Most rebels have left northern Uganda for Sudan – army Archived 3 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, IRIN, 26 September 2006.
  49. ^ UGANDA: Locals want rebel leader forgiven Archived 8 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine, IRIN, 1 August 2006.
  50. ^ "UGANDA: IDPs begin slow journey home amid concerns over peace process" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, IRIN, 18 May 2007.
  51. ^ "Sudan–Uganda: LRA talks, pencils and helicopters" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, IRIN, 31 May 2007.
  52. ^ "Uganda considers war crimes court". BBC News. 20 August 2007. Archived from the original on 19 December 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  53. ^ "Ugandan rebel deputy feared dead" Archived 9 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine BBC News, 7 November 2007.
  54. ^ Cakaj, Ledio (2015). "Chapter 12:In Unclaimed Land The Lord's Resistance Army in CAR". In Carayannis, Tatiana; Lombard, Louisa (eds.). Making Sense of the Central African Republic. Zed Books. p. 273.
  55. ^ Ugandan rebels 'prepare for war' Archived 22 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 7 June 2008
  56. ^ Sudan says Uganda rebels kill troops, start "war" Archived 12 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Reuters, 7 June 2008.
  57. ^ BBC News (30 December 2008). Christmas massacres 'killed 400' Archived 3 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 4 January 2009.
  58. ^ "SUDAN: Southerners still besieged by suspected LRA fighters". IRIN. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 December 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  59. ^ Rodney Muhumuza (23 March 2012). "Kony 2012: African Union ramps up hunt for Uganda rebel leader in wake of viral video". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  60. ^ "African Union launches U.S.-backed force to hunt Kony". Reuters. 24 March 2012. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  61. ^ "Kony 2012: African Union joins the hunt for Joseph Kony". GlobalPost. 23 March 2012. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  62. ^ Staff writer (13 May 2012). "Uganda captures LRA senior commander". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  63. ^ Justin Dralaze (13 May 2012). "Uganda captures Lord's Resistance Army commander". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  64. ^ Anissa Haddadi (7 June 2012). "Kony 2012: Joseph Kony's Lords Resistance Army Still Abducting Hundreds of Children". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  65. ^ David Smith (7 June 2012). "Joseph Kony kidnapped 591 children in past three years, UN report reveals". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  66. ^ Butagiro, Tabu (30 April 2012) Khartoum aiding Kony rebels again Archived 27 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Daily Monitor, Retrieved 26 December 2012
  67. ^ a b c (21 November 2013) Joseph Kony: US doubts LRA rebel leader's surrender Archived 21 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine BBC News Africa, Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  68. ^ a b (24 September 2013) 1200 LRA Fighters Set To Defect – UN Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Uganda Radio Network, Retrieved 23 November 2013
  69. ^ Mark, Monica (21 November 2013) Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony 'in talks' with Central African Republic Archived 7 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Guardian, Retrieved 23 November 2013
  70. ^ "3 killed in LRA attack on South Sudan". Sudan Tribune. 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  71. ^ "Late LRA commander was close to Kony, says Ugandan army". Sudan Tribune. 5 December 2013. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  72. ^ "19 LRA rebels surrender in Central Africa". Sudan Tribune. 12 December 2013. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  73. ^ a b "LRA leader within S. Sudan's disputed region, says UN". Sudan Tribune. 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  74. ^ "Lutte contre la LRA : la RDC participe à un atelier régional au Soudan du sud". Radio Okapi. 20 May 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  75. ^ "Province Orientale : 4 morts dans une attaque de la LRA à Bili". Radio Okapi. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  76. ^ "Province Orientale : 12 anciens otages des rebelles ougandais de la LRA arrivés à Ango". Radio Okapi. 29 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  77. ^ "Province Orientale: trois attaques armées attribuées à la LRA à Dungu". Radio Okapi. 2 January 2015. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  78. ^ "JournalDeBangui.com: Reddition de Dominic Ongwen, l'un des chefs rebelles de la LRA". 1 February 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  79. ^ "Province Orientale: des présumés rebelles LRA enlèvent une dizaine de personnes à Bili". Radio Okapi. 16 January 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  80. ^ "Province Orientale : 3 militaires tués dans des attaques de la LRA à Dungu". Radio Okapi. 22 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  81. ^ "Province Orientale : 8 personnes enlevées par de présumés rebelles ougandais de la LRA". Radio Okapi. 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  82. ^ "Province Orientale: des présumés LRA ont tué 3 personnes à Dungu". Radio Okapi. 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  83. ^ "RDC: 8 militaires disparaissent lors d'une attaque attribuée à la LRA". Radio Okapi. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  84. ^ "U.S. ends hunt for Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony". The Washington Times. 30 March 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  85. ^ "Situation sécuritaire en RDC : le Nord-Kivu toujours volatile". mediacongo.net (in French). September 2017.
  86. ^ Ryan Browne (2 May 2017). "US military ending role in hunt for elusive African warlord Joseph Kony". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  87. ^ Ocungi, Risdel Kasasira & Julius (20 April 2017). "East Africa: UPDF Ends 9-Year Hunt for Kony". The Monitor (Kampala). allAfrica. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  88. ^ Bishop, Mac William (27 April 2024). "Russian Mercenaries Hunt the African Warlord America Couldn't Catch". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  89. ^ Zambo, Beaufils (22 April 2024). "RCA : les instructeurs russes et les Faca libèrent 14 enfants du groupe terroriste LRA". Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  90. ^ a b c Research Brief 1: The Abduction and Return Experiences of Youth (PDF), Survey of War Affected Youth (SWAY): Research & Programs for Youth in Armed Conflict in Uganda, April 2006
  91. ^ WHO SAID WHAT: AlertNet ‘forgotten’ emergencies poll Archived 2 September 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Reuters AlertNet, 9 March 2005.
  92. ^ Green, Matthew (2008). The Wizard of the Nile: The Hunt for Africa's Most Wanted. Portobello Books. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-84627-031-4.
  93. ^ "N Uganda Report 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  94. ^ a b See also Figure 2: Distribution of LRA abduction over eight sub-counties, 1985 to 2005, p. 2 of The State of Youth and Youth Protection in Northern Uganda: Findings from the Survey for War Affected Youth (Phase 1 Final Report: Draft for Comments), SWAY, August 2006 for a sense of the geographic shift in abductions over time
  95. ^ Jeff Dorsey and Steven Opeitum for the Civil Society Organisations for Peace in Northern Uganda (CSOPNU), The Net Economic Cost of the Conflict in the Acholiland Sub-Region of Uganda (PDF) Archived 25 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Kampala, September 2002.
  96. ^ "Girl aged 14, walks a kilometre, along with her four siblings, to the safety of a shelter in Lacor, five kilometres out of..." Amnesty International USA. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  97. ^ Neylon, Stephanie (7 March 2012). "Kony fever hits York!". The Yorker. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  98. ^ Molloy, Mark (7 March 2012). "Kony 2012: Campaign Shedding light on Uganda Conflict a Huge Online Success". Metro. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  99. ^ Nelson, Sara C. (7 March 2012). "Kony 2012: Invisible Children Documentary Sheds Light On Uganda Conflict". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 18 November 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  100. ^ "Kony 2012". YouTube. 5 March 2012. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2012.

Sources

[edit]
  • Allen, Tim."Trial Justice: The International Criminal Court and the Lord's Resistance Army", African Arguments Series, Zed Books, London, 2006. ISBN 1-84277-737-8
  • Behrend, H. (M. Cohen, trans.) Alice Lakwena and the Holy Spirits: War in Northern Uganda, 1985–97, James Currey, 2000. ISBN 0-8214-1311-2. (Originally published as Behrend, H. 1993. Alice und die Geister: Krieg in Norden Uganda. Trickster, Munich.)
    • "War in Northern Uganda: The Holy Spirit Movements of Alice Lakwena, Severino Lukoya and Joseph Kony (1986–1997)", in Clapham, C. ed. African Guerrillas. James Currey, Oxford, 1998.
  • De Temmerman, E. Aboke Girls: Children Abducted in Northern Uganda, Fountain, 2001. ISBN 9970-02-256-3. (Originally published as De Temmerman, E. De meisjes van Aboke: Kindsoldaten in Noord-Oeganda. De Kern, 2000. ISBN 90-5312-146-3.)
  • Doom, R. and K. Vlassenroot. "Kony's message: a new koine? The Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda," African Affairs 98 (390) 1999: 5 to 36
  • Eichstaedt, Peter. First Kill Your Family: Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army. Lawrence Hill Books. 2008. ISBN 978-1-55652-799-9
  • Gingyera-Pincywa, A.G. "Is there a Northern Question?" in K. Rupesinghe, ed. Conflict Resolution in Uganda, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, 1989.
  • Jackson, P. "The March of the Lord's Resistance Army: Greed or Grievance in Northern Uganda?" Small Wars and Insurgencies 13, no. 3 (Autumn 2002): 29 to 52.
  • Ofcansky, T. "Warfare and Instability Along the Sudan-Uganda Border: A Look at the Twentieth Century" in Spaulding, J. and S. Beswick, eds. White Nile, Black Blood: War, Leadership, and Ethnicity from Khartoum to Kampala. Red Sea Press, Lawrenceville, New Jersey: 195–210, 2000.
  • Pham PN, Vinck P, Stover E. "The Lord's Resistance Army and Forced Conscription in Northern Uganda.", Human Rights Quarterly 30:404–411, 2008
  • Vinck P, Pham PN, Weinstein HM, Stover E. Exposure to War Crimes and its Implications for Peace Building in Northern Uganda. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 298 (5): 543–554, 2007
  • Ward, K. "'The Armies of the Lord': Christianity, Rebels and the State in Northern Uganda, 1986–1999", Journal of Religion in Africa 31 (2), 2001.
  • AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES "LRA commander Dominic Ongwen sentenced to 25 years in prison" Al Jazeera news | Lords Resistance Army
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lord%27s_Resistance_Army_insurgency&oldid=1259093063"