The LRA conflict has wreaked havoc on central and East Africa for 27 years, leaving communities in desperate need of protection and rehabilitation. Throughout this time, the rebel group’s tactics have remained brutal and atrocious – children are forced to kill members of their own families and become soldiers (or even sex slaves).
In recent years, LRA forces have scattered across an area as large as the entire state of California, terrorizing communities in the remotest parts of central Africa. But whose orders are they following? Without a centralized homebase, it can be challenging to determine who is in command. We’re here to help clear up any confusion you may have.
In 1986, Joseph Kony appointed himself as the head of the LRA after Alice Lakwena was exiled from Uganda. Since then, Kony has acted as a leader, prophet, and military tactician – all roles he claims were given to him by divine powers. The LRA is therefore led by Kony and just a handful of his most trusted commanders.
Kony’s control of the LRA has been weakening
Over the years, Kony has moved from a highly-structured command model (based on the Ugandan military) to a looser system, organized into smaller groups. In the past two years, Kony lost two important commanders, and ordered the execution of another commander who was disobedient to him:
- Vincent “Binany,” a highly loyal former bodyguard, was killed by the Ugandan military in January 2013
- Okot Odhiambo, a deputy leader, was reportedly killed by the Ugandan military in December 2013
- Lt. Col. Otto Agweng was executed on Kony’s order
These losses provoked division within LRA ranks, leading to an increase in the defection of disillusioned officers who were fearful of being killed by Kony or one of his commanders.
Since 2011, Kony has struggled to maintain cohesive command over groups he has not seen for many years. He has tried to preserve his authority and eliminate any threats to his power by sidelining senior officers and favoring younger commanders, whom he considers to be more loyal and impressionable. Additionally, Kony has been training his sons for several years now, and it has been reported by LRA defectors that he is trying to transfer his spiritual powers onto them.
The Ugandan army (UPDF) announced in May 2013 that Kony had appointed one of his sons, Salim Saleh, as deputy leader of the LRA. Nevertheless, Kony has not shown any interest in abandoning his absolute decision-making power, and is still considered one of the world’s worst living war criminals.
How does this affect our mission?
Kony is currently believed to have limited direct contact with most of his forces, which is making disillusioned LRA members more likely to defect. We’re taking advantage of that dynamic by focusing on our defection programs. Our defection fliers and “Come Home” radio messages instruct LRA abductees to safely surrender – and they are. In the past few months, a record-breaking 100 LRA members have come home. #CelebrateEverything
At the same time, we are in no way underestimating Kony’s authority and psychological control over his combatants. Even now, Kony’s forces believe he can watch them at all times, from miles away, and will kill them if they try to escape. Because of his charismatic, fear-based leadership, we believe capturing Kony is the key to dismantling the LRA and ending this brutal conflict. We also believe that someone who has senselessly terrorized communities on such a massive scale deserves to be brought to justice.
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