A video posted online by the US advocacy group Invisible Children was watched tens of millions of times. It inspired a public outcry, which included celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, to boost the hunt for Mr Kony.
About US troops had already been deployed to central Africa in to support an African Union-led mission against the LRA, but Kony increased the pressure to get results.
The film proved controversial, especially in Uganda, where critics said it oversimplified a complex subject, but Invisible Children said it succeeded in extending the US mission. However, Mr Kony has not been found and in the US and Ugandan armies ended their efforts to track him down.
They argued that his ability to cause trouble had been degraded and he was no longer a threat. Has Joseph Kony been defeated? Taking on Uganda's LRA rebels.
Africa Today podcasts. Image source, Getty Images. What is he accused of? This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Polline was 12 when she was forced to become a child soldier. Uganda's atrocious war.
Where is he from? Image source, AFP. This teenager had her lips, nose and ears cut off by the LRA. What does the LRA want? What that meant in practical terms was never clear. Fleeing Uganda's rebels. Why is he described by some as a 'prophet'? Mr Kony sees himself as a spirit medium. Shusha was the key to the recent war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Now Baku wants to turn the fabled fortress town into a resort.
Argument An expert's point of view on a current event. By Ledio Cakaj. The LRA is currently holding peace talks with the Ugandan government, which are being mediated by South Sudanese President Riek Machar in the capital Juba and are hoped to bring an end to 20 years of conflict. Sign up for Africa Brief From Algeria to Zimbabwe and countries in between, a weekly roundup of essential news and analysis from Africa.
June 28, , PM. What in the World? November 12, , PM. Trending 1. Blame Brussels. A Blueprint for Peace in Ethiopia. The U. Latest Analysis. Or are they? The Month in World Photos. Argument Andrew Connelly. Argument Adem K. Analysis Jeffrey Wilson. At the same time the Trump administration is doing the troop withdrawal, their budget proposals are cuts to the institutions, such as U.
Ronan said that the military effort deterred the group from carrying out the kinds deadly attacks it launched more than a decade ago. The U. In the three years preceding U. That dropped significantly with reported LRA-caused deaths in past six years. The group was forced out of northern Uganda in , but the campaign forced Kony to move his forces deeper into the border region between South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
While Kony was not caught, the effort diminished the size of the group. What remains is a fractured rebel group with fewer than fighters and a weak leadership structure. Tracking the LRA. A resurgent LRA is a low concern to him. Reports from former combatants and the activities by the LRA point to a Kony who is increasingly paranoid. Most of the current LRA force is made up of non-Ugandans, but Kony is unwilling to promote any of them to top ranks in the rebel group.
The attrition of Ugandan commanders because of defections and executions leaves a weak command structure with an unstable leader. The greatest external pressure on the LRA now comes from regional rebel groups, poachers and armed cattle-herders. If anyone is going to kill Kony, it is likely to be one of those groups, Ronan said.
However, he worries that the desperation of the LRA may force it to overcome some of its problems and lead to a new period of growth. There are U. Also concerning is the potential for other rebel groups to gain strength with the military withdrawal.
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