Blog Updates and inspiration

Reports surfaced on Tuesday that senior LRA commander and International Criminal Court (ICC)  indictee Dominic Ongwen is in the custody of U.S. military forces in the Central African Republic (CAR), and that he may have surrendered voluntarily. If officially confirmed, this will be a defining moment in the mission to stop the Lord’s Resistance Army […]

An update on January 15th, 2015 from our Director of International Programs and Policy Advisor, Lisa Dougan:The U.S. military in Obo, Central African Republic (CAR), have handed Ongwen over the the African Union forces in Obo (aka the Ugandan military). It has been reported that Ongwen will be taken to the ICC for trial, with the […]

The LRA experienced a significant blow yesterday: senior LRA commander Opiyo Sam surrendered, along with two young women, two men and a boy. The young women and boy had been held captive for a combined total of 14 years. The Ugandan military (or UPDF), who are the largest contingent of the African Union’s regional counter-LRA force, announced […]

It’s very unlikely, according to Mr. Okello-Oryem, Uganda’s minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Many of you will have heard the recent rumors of Kony’s desire for peace.The BBC article below investigates the likely roots of these claims. To note: 1. These rumors started with a letter supposedly from Kony, published in the private Ugandan newspaper Daily […]

Recent reports have been circulating about the possibility of Joseph Kony being ‘in surrender talks’ with the Central African Republic (one such report is this BBC article). Our CEO Ben Keesey has some thoughts on the matter: + We are very encouraged by the consistent reports over the last few months about the progress that […]

Encouraging and facilitating the peaceful surrender of LRA combatants is one of the most effective ways to reduce threats to communities in central Africa and weaken the LRA’s ability to effectively operate. That is why defection fliers are an essential part of our Protection Programs. Invisible Children works with partner organizations and local leaders to send […]

Progress Report As Invisible Children supporters you have proven time and time again that you are willing to respond at a moment’s notice to help the victims of the LRA. This month’s ϟ  Flash Action Alert ϟ is a perfect example of this community rallying to see quick effective action. Here’s the quick recap of events. To everyone of […]

In 2000 Uganda’s government passed the Amnesty Act which legislated that LRA members who surrender to the UPDF and return to Uganda will not be prosecuted (with the exception of Kony and his top ICC-indicted commanders). For the rank and file LRA fighter, the promise of amnesty is one of the greatest incentives to try […]

War criminal Bosco Ntaganda has reportedly surrendered to the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda. This is something to celebrate. Like Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This is the arrest warrant that was issued in 2006 for crimes committed in the early […]

Many people who are currently in the LRA were abducted as children and based on information from members who have escaped, are constantly expressing a strong desire to leave. There are three major obstacles for LRA defectors who want to escape: 1) Fear of being killed during their escape or by the community when they […]