{UAH} Progress for AU Regional Task Force hunting Kony and LRA

Progress for AU Regional Task Force hunting Kony and LRA

Written by Staff Writer, Wednesday, 11 December 2013

The Regional Task Force (RTF) of the African Union-led Regional Co-operation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord's Resistance Army (RCI-LRA) continues to make progress, with 19 LRA members defecting and handing their weapons over to the Ugandan contingent of the RTF this month.

"They were members of a group commanded by 'Lieutenant Colonel' Obur Nyeko, alias Okuti. They gave themselves over to the Ugandans at Zemio in the Central African Republic (CAR)," an AU statement said.

"Since August the RTF has rescued a number of civilian abductees, destroyed several LRA camps in the CAR and DRC, disrupted the group's logistic networks and diminished its fighting capacity. This is part of Operation Monsoon currently being executed by the RTF."

In August the AU said 3 350 troops of an expected 5 000 strong RTF brigade were in place. Contributions to date have come from CAR (350), Uganda (2 000), South Sudan (500) and the DRC (500).

The resumption of hostilities in the Central African Republic (CAR) impacted negatively on RTF efforts to eliminate LRA but normal operations have now resumed in parts of the country.

Originally based in Northern Uganda and Sudan, the LRA originally sought to destabilise and overthrow the government of Uganda. Formed in 1992 in an attempt to unify a resistance movement fractured by the marginalisation of the Uganda Democratic Christian Army, the group promotes a radical form of Christianity which it wants to make the foundation of a new Ugandan government.

Led by Joseph Kony, LRA has sought to achieve these objectives primarily through unbridled brutality, according to the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism based at the University of Maryland.

Rape, torture, and murder have become the group's hallmarks in the almost 15 years they terrorised the citizens of Northern Uganda. The ranks of the LRA are filled in large part (approximately 80%) by children, who are kidnapped and brainwashed into service with the group. Human rights NGOs place the number of children who have fought with the LRA at around 3 000. LRA members also kidnap children, particularly girls, to serve as sex slaves; some have even been given as "gifts" to arms dealers in Sudan, the Consortium said.

"LRA attacks have been notable for both their brutality and their pointlessness. Two popular nightspots have been bombed, a bus full of people was attacked by club-wielding LRA soldiers who caused 22 fatalities and an Italian priest was murdered. Other victims include World Food Programme volunteers, the former President of Uganda and mourners at a funeral, who were forced to cook and eat the body of the deceased. No discernible political programme underlies these attacks aside from Kony's desire to cause extreme pain and suffering to all Acholi tribes that do not support the LRA."

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower

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