On Saturday a 19-year-old male, Issa Guy Parfait, escaped from the LRA after more than a year in captivity.
Guy was abducted in July of 2013 from his home in the Central African Republic on his way back from working in the peanut fields. He was taken along with two other young males and the elders who were present; the elders were later released, while the other boys both eventually escaped. Guy remained in captivity until last week.
“I escaped at night and walked 11 days until I came across a cyclist on a large road at around 2 p.m.,” Guy said. “He took me to the [Community Defection Committee] in Mboki who brought me to the police then gave me food and clothes and brought me to [security forces] the next day.”
Community Defection Committees are groups who have volunteered to be trained on how to receive LRA defectors once they escape. We promote these communities as safe surrender sites to those in the bush.
When asked what made him start thinking about escape, Guy mentioned Invisible Children’s defection fliers and “Come Home” radio broadcasts. He said he saw these fliers “all the time” and that his LRA group listened to their FM radio “every morning and evening.”
Upon his return, Guy said, “Most people in my group want to leave the LRA now but they are too scared of the chief.” The group consisted of 20 men and even more women. Other details Guy provided also confirmed that Kony is participating in the ivory trade.
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