Stories of Connection // Come Home Messages Encourage Escape
For communities in central Africa, strong connections to the world around them are vital to their safety. In this remote and isolated corner of the world, where families don’t have access to reliable communication tools, whole communities face the constant threat of armed groups that can tear families apart through violent attacks and abductions. This […]
Update on Dominic Ongwen // Trial to Begin Tomorrow
The International Criminal Court (ICC) trial of former LRA commander, Dominic Ongwen, is set to begin tomorrow. So, in preparation, we thought we would take a moment and recap where the proceedings are and talk about what we can expect to see happen moving forward. So, what’s happened so far? In early January 2015, former […]
Kony’s LRA resurgent as Ugandan military plans withdrawal from central Africa
A project of Invisible Children and The Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative + LRA abducted 344 people in CAR from January–June 2016, highest midyear figure there since 2010 + Kony’s orders led to dozens of child abductions + LRA poaching group returned to DR Congo’s Garamba National Park + 12 women and children released from LRA captivity in June […]
This Day in History || The Lukodi Massacre
Today marks the 12th anniversary of one of the most brutal attacks committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. On May 19th, 2004, more than sixty people lost their lives at the hands of Joseph Kony’s army in what has since been called the Lukodi Massacre. Last month, our Invisible Children team […]
Using media to protect children in war // Jump First, Fear Later
“Be humble, exhaust all your creativity, collaborate, innovate, work hard. Repeat. Isn’t this the greatest leap of faith there is?” –Lindsay Branham How would you most enjoy to spend your life, if money was no object? If you could go anywhere and do anything, how would you spend your time? We believe the most influential […]
KONY 101 // HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE LRA FIGHTERS AND ATTACKS?
For almost 30 years, the LRA has been terrorizing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan and Uganda. But how do community members, regional military, and humanitarian organizations distinguish LRA fighters from other rebels and bandits in the region? How we recognize an LRA fighter Uniform As we mentioned […]
KONY 101 // Why do communities continue to fear Kony?
Stories of LRA atrocities – including looting, displacement, rape, and abduction – have spread quickly through vulnerable communities in central Africa. To this day, hunters and fishermen enter fields and rivers with hesitation because of the LRA’s presence in the area. After 28 years of conflict, Kony’s army is still creating widespread fear. Here’s why. Displacement […]
KONY 101 // WHY DID KONY START ABDUCTING CHILDREN?
Since 1986, the LRA has been forcibly abducting people to join its ranks. But as support for the rebels quickly faded and the ranks of the LRA diminished, Kony started giving orders for his combatants to abduct children. But why did he decide that child soldiers were the best way to wage his war against the Ugandan government? […]
Raising our voice // Invisible Children testifies before Congress
“This is a conversation that millions of young people around the United States would be very encouraged to know is happening in Washington, D. C. today.” -Lisa Dougan On Friday, September 19, our very own Lisa Dougan, Director of Central Africa Programs and Policy Advisor, gave her official testimony to Congress as part of a hearing […]
DR Congo’s step to end sexual violence and child recruitment
We live in a world where hundreds of thousands of women and girls are trafficked within and across borders each year, sexual exploitation runs rampant, and 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not outlawed. In this same world, rebel groups, such as Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, continue to abduct children into their […]