The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have confirmed a successful raid on three bases of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the Central African Republic (CAR), a rebel group that has long been a thorn in Uganda’s side. The operation, conducted on August 20, 2024, resulted in the destruction of the camps and the capture of several weapons.
Col. Deo Akiiki, the Deputy Public Information Officer of the UPDF, reported that the raid was a coordinated effort involving the South Sudan Peoples Defence Forces (SSPDF) and CAR security forces. The operation targeted three camps believed to be under the control of Joseph Kony, the infamous leader of the LRA, in an area east of Sam Ouanja in the CAR.
The UPDF’s success in this mission reflects the ongoing efforts to dismantle the remnants of the LRA, a rebel group notorious for its brutal tactics and widespread terror. Col. Akiiki issued a stern warning to any remaining LRA fighters hiding in CAR or elsewhere in Africa, stating that they will be hunted down unless they surrender to authorities for rehabilitation. The LRA, a group that once terrorized northern Uganda, now operates in the border regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), CAR, and South Sudan.
The LRA has a dark history, having been led by Joseph Kony since the late 1980s when it waged a violent campaign against the National Resistance Movement in northern Uganda. The group has been accused of heinous crimes, including murder, rape, mutilations, and the abduction of tens of thousands of children who were forced into becoming sex slaves and child soldiers.
In a recent development, ICC Registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler announced in May 2024 that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is actively working with Uganda and other state parties to capture Kony and bring him to trial. Giler revealed that a confirmation of charges hearing against Kony is scheduled for October 25, 2024, although a trial cannot proceed in his absence.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Kony and other top LRA commanders nearly two decades ago. However, Kony has remained elusive, avoiding capture and trial. In 2005, the ICC sought to apprehend five LRA commanders, including Kony, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen, and Raska Lukwiya. Over the years, the LRA leadership has dwindled, with Otti, Odhiambo, and Lukwiya reportedly killed while still in the bush. Dominic Ongwen, however, surrendered in January 2015.
The LRA’s elusive nature has been a significant challenge for military forces in the region. In 2008, after Kony refused to sign a negotiated peace agreement, the Ugandan, DRC, and southern Sudanese armies launched “Operation Lightning Thunder,” a joint military offensive targeting the LRA in northeastern Congo. The operation forced the LRA to fragment into smaller, more mobile groups, spreading across the border region and becoming even harder to track.
The international community, particularly the United States, has played a role in supporting efforts to dismantle the LRA. In May 2010, the US Congress passed the “Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act,” building on earlier efforts to combat the group. The US had previously included the LRA on its Terrorist Exclusion List in 2001 and designated Kony as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2008.
In October 2011, the United States sent a contingent of 100 soldiers to advise regional militaries on efforts to remove Kony from the battlefield. This mission was further bolstered in March 2014 when the US announced additional troops and military aircraft would be deployed to enhance the hunt for Kony.
