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There have been numerous articles reporting a mass defection from within Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, and rumors are swirling. Here is what we do know.

A small group of potential defectors from an unidentified armed force reportedly made contact with Central African officials in Haute-Kotto, CAR, and indicated that they were a part of a larger group located in the same prefecture. The potential defectors made known their need for supplies and communicated the group’s desire to surrender. In response, a UN-facilitated delegation was sent to this area earlier this week.

Preliminary reports from the delegation show no signs of a mass LRA defection. We have not received any verified information about defections over the past 72 hours, and there are questions about whether or not the potential defectors were LRA members or elements of another armed group. We have no evidence to support the claims made in various media outlets that 1,000 LRA have surrendered. Best estimates put the total number of LRA combatants in all of central Africa at approximately 250 fighters, in addition to 250 abducted women and children, making a mass defection of this scale highly implausible.

Invisible Children has several staff located in CAR looking into these reports further. We remain hopeful that the reports of LRA intentions to defect on a large scale hold elements of truth. If a mass defection were to happen, it would be an incredible step forward in dismantling the Lord’s Resistance Army and a huge victory for the families affected by the 27 years of violence.

Invisible Children pursues any credible opportunity for peaceful means of stopping LRA atrocities, and we will continue to work with our partners on the ground to do everything possible in central Africa to help facilitate the safe surrender and rehabilitation of as many LRA combatants, women, and children as possible.

To see what else Invisible Children does to encourage peaceful surrender and rehabilitation, visit our website here.