Lord’s Resistance Army
Lord’s Resistance Army is a militant group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is led by Joseph Kony. The Lord’s Resistance Army has been one of central Africa’s cruellest armed groups over the past 30 years. The Lord’s Resistance Army has abducted over 67,000 youth, including 30,000 children, for use as child soldiers, sex slaves, and porters, and has brutalized communities since it was formed in the year 1987. The Lord’s Resistance Army is not motivated by any political agenda but it is more like a cult of its leader Joseph Kony.
Formation of the Lord’s Resistance Army
In 1986, the armed rebellion led by Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Army won the Ugandan Bush War and took control of the country. The victors sought vengeance against ethnic groups in the North of Uganda. Their activities included Operation Simsim, which engaged in burning, looting, and killings of locals. Such acts of violence led to the formation of rebel groups from the ranks of the previous Ugandan army, UNLA. Many of those groups made peace with Museveni. However, the southern-dominated army did not stop attacking civilians in the north of the country. Therefore, by late 1987 to early 1988, a civilian resistance movement led by Alice Lakwena was formed. She established the Holy Spirit Movement, a resistance group that claimed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. Lakwena preached that the Acholi could overthrow the government of Uganda if they followed her messages from God. The Holy Spirit Movement was defeated by government troops in 1987, and Lakwena escaped into exile in Kenya. Joseph Kony took advantage of this and gathered the remnants of The Holy Spirit Movement and Joseph Kony soon started a cultist militant group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army. Kony claimed he received message from god and he said the LRA was fighting in the name of god to overthrow Musevani and establish a government with the Ten Commandments as its constitution. He used to encourage his soldiers to draw a cross on their chest with oil to protect themselves from enemy bullets. The income of the LRA comes from elephant ivory, gold, and diamonds, and has received support from the Government of Sudan since 1994. The LRA has contributed to the slaughter of elephants in Garamba National Park in eastern Congo, in order to trade ivory and maintain their activities.
Retribution against the Lord’s Resistance Army
USA soon passed a legislation to address the LRAs threat and President Obama authorized military advisors to assist in forming a regional task force against the LRA. The mission has reduced LRA attacks by 90% and weakened the LRA to roughly 100 fighters spread out over four countries. One of its top commanders, Dominic Ongwen, surrendered in early 2015 and has been sentenced to 25 years of prison by the International Criminal Court on 6th May, 2021.
