We just received some exciting news from our team in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Yesterday, September 2, 26 women and children were released by the LRA near the community of Kiliwa, DRC! The group is comprised of 11 women, five girls (ages 14-17), and 10 children under five years of age (three boys, seven girls). The youngest of the returnees is only one year old.
Two civilians, working in their fields near Kiliwa, were approached by the group of women and children, who were being escorted by five male LRA forces. The women told the civilians to not be afraid and asked to be brought to the people who could help them find their families. According to the civilians, the five LRA combatants who escorted the women and children watched them for a long time as they were led into town. They even followed them for a while as they walked toward Kiliwa town, to make sure the women and children were received peacefully.
The two civilians brought the women and children to security forces in town, who, together with several community members, provided the group with food.
This group of returnees includes two women who were abducted from Central African Republic (CAR), one from South Sudan, and eight from DR Congo. Their time in captivity within the LRA ranges between one and eight years. While still in captivity, the group reportedly left CAR 90 days ago to reach Kpaika, DRC on August 31.
Combined with the 46 women and children released in August, LRA forces have released 72 women and children from long-term captivity over the past 30 days.
With the help of our staff on the ground in central Africa, Invisible Children continues to monitor this possible new pattern of LRA combatants in DRC releasing long-time women and children captives.
This has been a record-breaking month in the pursuit to end LRA violence, and is certainly cause for celebration.
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