On the morning of November 21st, a 30-year-old South Sudanese man returned from LRA captivity with a 16-year-old Central African girl in Obo, Central African Republic (CAR). The young girl was reportedly abducted three years ago in Bakouma, CAR while the man was abducted near Juba, South Sudan.

2014 has seen exceptional numbers of returnees escape the LRA, with 517 civilians and combatants coming home since January. Today’s news serves as yet another reminder of the importance of maintaining programs that encourage others to leave the LRA and welcome them upon their return from the bush.  We continue to make progress in our mission to dismantle the LRA peacefully from within, and this escape is one more step to celebrate.