Africa

The Lord’s of Resistance (LRA) has been wreaking terrorism across central Africa since 2009.  The LRA numbers are estimated to be about 300 to 500 strong and are led by a man named Joseph Kony who at the age of 26 began to lead the group in 1986 with just 11 men.  The original intention of the LRA was to overthrow government of Uganda in order to establish a theocratic government based on the Ten Commandments.  Joseph Kony used to be an altar boy…….

The irony of the LRA and Joseph Kony stating they are fighting a holy war and want to base their government on the ten commandments which are:

1. You shall have no other Gods but me.
2. You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
4. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Respect your father and mother.
6. You must not kill.
7. You must not commit adultery.
8. You must not steal.
9. You must not give false evidence against your neighbor.
10. You must not be envious of your neighbor’s goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.

YET, the LRA and Joseph Kony violate all of the ten commandments in one way or another.  Kony considers himself to be a prophet.  It is believed that Kony has multiple personality disorder and claims that his dreams are prophecies.  Kony will go into a trance and record himself speaking into a tape recorder and when his words are played back then these words are taken as commands. 

When Kony first started with his force of 11 men he would always tell them that The Holy Spirit was not only guiding him but also protecting him.  Kony would tell his men that as long as they prayed very hard that no harm would ever come to them.  Their terrorism tactics have consisted of guerilla warfare and they soon began to increase in numbers and strength by recruiting through terror and kidnapping children.  Their funding came from receiving arms in the Sudan.

Museveni’s government first tried to crush the LRA militarily however the LRA was all too familiar with the bush territory and knew how to retreat and hide well.  Each time the government launched an offensive Kony answered with retaliatory retribution and targeted his own people, the Acholis, government sympathisers, and ordinary villagers.  Soon there were thousands of civilians killed.  The way they were killed left terrifying messages to those still living.  Victims were often found with their lips, ears and noses sliced off.  Victims may have also been left with some sort of message on their body.  In order to deter people from informing on the LRA Kony would drive a padlock through the upper and lower lips of a victim.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The LRA first started operations in the northern part of Uganda but now split their operations between the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and the South Sudan.  Their territory is vast and can seem endless. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kony and the LRA have abducted over 600 children to use as child soldiers, sex slaves, cooks, porters, guards, scouts and spies.  Of the more than 600 children abducted there is estimated to be around 268 girls, some have even become Joseph Kony’s wives.  The girls are not only forced in to sexual slavery they are repeatedly and forcibly raped daily and forced to marry many of their abductors.  Many of the girls are strife with HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.  The actual number of abductions is most likely a lot higher because there are probably a great many number of kids abducted that have not been reported especially if these children are made to kill their families and relatives.  The state department estimates that the LRA have abducted more than 25,000 children.  There is a large disparity between 600 and 25,000 which is a reflection of just how much no one truly knows. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kony has helped himself to many of the girls that have been abducted and these girls have become ‘wives’ and they number to be about 50 girls.  Kony claims Old Testament authority like King Solomon and therefore insists that his wives be virgins because of biblical reasons and the fear of HIV.  Kony tells his followers that his holy water will make them invulnerable to bullets.  Kony also states that he can turn rocks into hand grenades.  Kony threatens children that they cannot run away because his baptismal fluids would allow them to be found. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though a program called the ‘Invisible Children’ created a documentary in order to increase awareness on the plight of the African children that hide every night in order to escape capture from the LRA, it hasn’t helped much.  If anything the LRA has stepped up their terroristic attacks in Central Africa. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kony’s LRA makes the children kill their family and loved ones when they are abducted as part of their ‘registration’ into the LRA and also so that the children have nowhere to go and no one to try to run to.  Many children and their families become ‘night commuters’ and leave their villages at night to seek sanctuary in the town schools and churches.  In the morning the children and their families go back to their villages if they can.  

  The attempts to stop Kony and the LRA consist of Uganda, Congo and South Sudan uniting in an effort work together to destroy Joseph Kony and the LRA.  They launched a military campaign called Operation Lightning Thunder. 

 The United States also designated the LRA as a terrorist group and backed the united offensive by providing 1 million to go towards intelligence and logistics.  Even though the Garamba LRA camps were destroyed in one attack, Kony and his top commanders still managed to escape unharmed.   In a ‘sensitive mission’ that is currently being carried out with the aid of US Special Ops troops deep in the central African jungles their aim is to kill or capture Joseph Kony and destroy the LRA.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57579412/hunting-the-worlds-most-wanted-warlord-joseph-kony/

 The involvement by the United States is a broader effort to counter an emerging larger threat to America because of the growth in terrorist networks from across Africa.

The area that Kony mainly operates out of is considered vast and rife with lawlessness.  The area is thick and overgrown which makes tracking difficult.  Kony still has not been captured. 

 Ugandan forces captured a close comrade of Kony’s named Major General Ceasar Acellam.  Acellam claims that Kony is merely struggling to survive.  Although I am really not sure whether to believe this man because he may still be loyal to Kony.

Acellam doesn’t want to take any responsibility for his atrocious activities and places the blame and justification at Kony’s feet and says that all was done under direct orders by Kony. 

Amongst Acellam’s claims against Kony:

• Children are mainly younger than 13 when abducted
• Children are told it is God’s war and out of fear it is believed.
• Upon arrival oil is smeared on the forehead, chest and back in the shape of a cross
• This ritual numbs any thoughts and free thinking
• If a new abductee tries to escape the other children are ordered to bite the escapee to death

I think if the Obama administration can use drones to find insurgents, warlords and militants of Al Qaeda and the Taliban then why the heck can’t they use them to find Kony and his Lord’s of Resistance?