The Lord's Resistance Army, known by its initials, LRA, is famous for its comission of mass-murder and rape, as well as its use of child soldiers. Its leader, Joseph Kony, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Although the LRA started in Uganda, it has since spread to Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, thus adding to the violence in an extremely troubled region. It is estimated that over the past twenty years, the LRA has been responsible for the deaths of 30,00 people and the displacement of two million. The LRA is currently listed by United States as a terrorist organization.
Send in the Americans
In October of 2011, President Obama sent 100 US troops to Uganda. Although these troops were armed for combat, their official mission was simply, in the words of President Obama, "to provide assistance to regional forces that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony". President Obama stressed that the US troops would only engage in combat if "necessary for self-defense". The forces were sent in a "'kill or capture" mission, in the hopes that once Joseph Kony is removed from the battlefield, the LRA, which has only about 200 fighters, will disintegrate.
President Obama's decision was seen as a major step in the fight against the LRA, and provided much-needed assistance to the African Union and the Ugandan army troops that are currently involved in the fight against the LRA, both of which are overburdened from peace-keeping duties in Sudan and Somalia.
Limited Success In Uganda
The American army is one of the best in the world, and the Green Berets, the special operations unit sent to Uganda, are among the best within that army, so success should come as no surprise – and indeed, at first glance, it looks like they have been quite successful: LRA attacks have decreased by two thirds since the Americans’ arrival, with no immediate plans for re-organization readily apparent. However, as Sasha Lezhnev, a policy consultant for the Enough Project, a non-profit organization working in the region, points out, it is too early to claim victory.
The LRA has a historical pattern of lying low during military incursions, only to start attacking the minute the forces in question depart. Meanwhile, Uganda, the major provider of African troops in the fight against the LRA, has decreased its troops by half since 2010, and is overburdened by peace-keeping duties in Somalia, causing a lack of manpower. Additionally, the majority of recent LRA attacks have taken place in Congo, which Ugandan troops do not have permission to act in. This leaves Congolese civilians without protection from LRA forces.
LRA Defection: Thomas Kwoyelo and the Amnesty Act
Although the LRA has only 200 members, its members are afraid to defect, lest they face the wrath both of the justice system and of local communities. Uganda passed an Amnesty Act in 2000, meant to encourage LRA members to defect by granting them amnesty for their actions. Since then, approximately 13,000 LRA members have taken advantage of the act, however, in 2011, with the trial of Thomas Kwoyelo, the Ugandan government called the Amnesty Act into question, and many LRA members are now refusing to defect out of fear of prosecution.
The Kwoyelo case was controversial, not just because the prosecutor asked the Ugandan Constitutional Court to deliberate on the Amnesty Act's constitutionality, but also because Kwoyelo was himself a victim, as well a perpetrator, having been kidnapped and forced into the LRA at the age of 15. In his own words, "I made several attempts to escape from captivity, but all these were futile and my colleagues who attempted to escape were killed. As a child, I was forcefully introduced, indoctrinated and trained into the culture of brutality in the LRA, like all other abducted children."
Eventually, Kwoyelo was released, yet his initial prosecution still sent a warning to current LRA members pondering defection, that amnesty is not automatic.
Other Problems
Furthermore, the LRA may be receiving support from the Sudanese government. There is also fear that if left to its own devices, the LRA could easily re-arm and re-launch its campaign of terror - and Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA, has assured his troops they will do so, reminding them that his troops have already defeated the Ugandan army in the past, so they should be able to defeat the US army in the present.
Solutions To The LRA Quagmire
Given the complexity of the situation, there is no immediate solution or cure-all, however, Sasha Lezhnev, a policy expert working with non-profits in the region, has come up with two suggestions:
- The US should increase its military support by providing more “troops, transport, and intelligence”. This increased support should not come only from the US, rather, the US should use its diplomatic influence to convince both African and European nations to provide military support to the Ugandan troops. Right now, lack of manpower and intelligence are among the biggest stumbling blocks to an anti-LRA victory.
- A two-tiered defection system. This would involve targeting both rank-and-file members and mid-to senior-level members of the LRA, and encouraging them to defect, while also providing them with a safe environment to defect to. In addition to fearing the justice system, current lRA fighters also fear being lynched by the local population, and need military, as well as legal, protection. Aid packages offering education, medical care, and projects re-integrating former fighters into the community, would also help encourage defection, since often fear of poverty or not being accepted by the community prevent LRA members from turning sides.
Sources
Lezhnev, Sasha, "Ensuring Success: Four Steps Beyond US Troops to End The War with the LRA”, Enough, February 2, 2012.
“Ugandan lRA Rebel Joseph Kwoyelo Granted Amnesty”, BBC News, September 22, 2011.
"Uganda Looks To Strike Down LRA Amnesty Law", Ashley Benner, Christian Science Monitor, September 9, 2011.
“US To Send Troops To Uganda To Help Fight LRA Rebels”. BBC News, October 14, 2011.
"Uganda Amnesty for LRA Commander a "setback"for Justice". Amnesty International, September 23, 2011.
"Obama Send 100 Military Advisors To Fight Africa Rebels". MSNBC News, October 15, 2011.
Shayna Abramson - Shayna Abramson is an alumnus of Johns Hopkins University, where she was an active member of the Johns Hopkins Interfaith Center. She ...
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