Quarter 3 Brief | July-September 2017
Clashes between armed groups and attacks on civilians continued to dominate the security landscape in the Mbomou-Uele border region* in Quarter 3 (July–September) 2017. In eastern Central African Republic (CAR), fighting involving ex-Seleka factions, anti-balaka militias, and other armed actors was concentrated in towns such as Bria (Haute Kotto prefecture) and Zemio (Haut Mbomou prefecture), while security improved […]
Strengthening Community Resilience
Many of the communities that we work with in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan face the daily threat of violent conflict and exploitation. Isolated and without basic protection, they are targeted by a number of armed groups who recognize and seek to exploit their vulnerability. The […]
What We’re Reading // City of Saints & Thieves
Although most of us here at Invisible Children are probably considered too old for Young Adult literature, let’s get real, we can’t help ourselves. We especially love it when we find stories like City of Saints and Thieves, a novel released earlier this year by Natalie C. Anderson. City of Saints and Thieves has everything […]
Bringing Local Solutions to Life // Medical Training in CAR
A few weeks ago, our team in the Central African Republic (CAR) joined with community members from the southeastern towns of Obo and Mboki to celebrate the graduation of 16 newly trained medical officers — all of whom have been directly impacted by armed group violence. It was an exciting day for the trainees, who have […]
The LRA Returns to Garamba National Park
Since 2012, Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader, Joseph Kony, has relied on illegal ivory poaching to fund continued violence in central Africa. Based on community reports collected through our Early Warning Radio Network and countless interviews with former LRA fighters, we know that Kony frequently orders LRA commanders to poach elephants in Garamba National Park […]
An Interview with LRA Escapees
“We were in school before. It was our 6th year. Everything was fine.” For the last four years, Camille Marie-Regnault, Invisible Children’s Protection Programs Officer, has worked with our teams in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and eastern Central African Republic (CAR) to ensure that communities in the region have the safety they need […]
2017 Midyear Security Brief
Sectarian tensions steadily escalated in eastern Central African Republic (CAR) in the first six months of 2017. In June, violence spread from Haut Kotto and Mbomou prefectures into the communities of Zemio and Mboki in neighboring Haut Mbomou prefecture. Attacks by ex-Seleka, anti-balaka, and armed Peuhl have killed at least 346 civilians in the three prefectures since January […]
A Field Guide to Losing Your Friends // Remembering Nate Henn
On July 11, 2010, 74 people were killed in a series of terrorist bombings in Kampala, Uganda. One of those killed was an American named Nate Henn. He was our friend. Before his death, Nate had dedicated almost two years of his life as a volunteer roadie with Invisible Children. In the spring of 2010, Nate led a […]
Young Boy Escapes After Three Years in LRA Captivity
In 2014, when he was seven years old, Sam* and several other members of his community were abducted by a group of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) fighters as they were headed for a field outside their community in a remote corner of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Although many of those abducted with […]
Monthly Security Brief | May 2017
A Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) group crossed the border from Central African Republic (CAR) into northern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in May 2017, abducting at least 23 people in a series of attacks on civilians en route to Garamba National Park. In eastern CAR, violence by armed groups against civilians escalated dramatically in May, with ex-Seleka […]