On the radar // Suspected LRA forces spotted in DR Congo
The Early Warning Radio Network gives communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Central African Republic the ability to report LRA activity to one another. Twice-daily security calls of LRA movement are made through high-frequency, two-way, long-range radios. Reports are transcribed, sent to our experts on the ground, the information is cross-checked, […]
Supporter Spotlight // Liesel Krouse
Butter knives: they are no longer just for smearing cream cheese on your bagel or cutting your sandwich in half. Now, they are works of art. And they are supporting our on-the-ground programming in Uganda, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Before you write me off as crazy, listen up. And trust […]
On the Radar: 12-year-old girl escapes LRA in DR Congo and is received by the CDC in Kpaika
On June 9th, a 12-year-old Congolese girl, Michelle*, arrived in the village of Kpaika, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) after eight months of captivity with the LRA. Michelle was abducted from her hometown last November while on her way to school. The LRA group that kidnapped her was comprised of six armed men, women and […]
The LRA, looting, and its life-altering effects
In the past year, the LRA Crisis Tracker has captured LRA movement and actions through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Central African Republic (CAR), and South Sudan. Just last week, the LRA Crisis Tracker reported that the LRA abducted 31 men, women, and children from a community in the Central African Republic– a […]
Reblog // NPR and “The ‘KONY 2012’ effect”
Over the weekend, our friends over at National Public Radio (NPR) wrote a piece on us entitled “The ‘KONY 2012’ Effect: Recovering from a Viral Sensation.” As we’ve said before and we’ll say again, we love NPR. So, we really appreciated their thoughtful article on us. But we wanted to quickly correct two errors in the […]
How littering* is redefining the LRA
Imagine looking up into the sky on a hot, humid day somewhere in the remote forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Suddenly thousands of neon pieces of paper are falling from the sky. As they cover the ground in and around your camp, you see one you can understand. It’s telling you to come […]
On the radar: LRA abducts almost entire community in CAR, and 7 in DRC
The regional dry season in central Africa has historically seen spikes in LRA activity during which the rebel group becomes desperate for food and resorts to more frequent and aggressive looting of communities. Over the last week, groups of LRA in CAR and DRC carried out significant raids on civilians. The incidents: April 25th: At […]
Interview // Saskia Rotshuizen visits the LRA conflict region
Saskia is a French-Dutch American powerhouse in our San Diego office. To know her is to admire her: she’s our Central Africa Programs Coordinator, she’s brilliant at what she does, and she just got back from her first trip to Uganda and the conflict region. She’s also allergic to any kind of metaphorical sugar coating, […]
IC + The Resolve launch LRA Crisis Tracker 2013 Security Brief
Today, Invisible Children and The Resolve released the 2013 LRA Crisis Tracker Security Brief. This annual report provides analysis on all data collected as part of the LRA Crisis Tracker, providing actionable intelligence for counter-LRA actors and valuable information for the public. The report identifies five key findings from the 2013 data: 1.The LRA lost […]
The best-dressed Guinness commercial ever
When I think of beer commercials, the first thing that comes to mind usually isn’t “colorful and inspirational central African subculture”. Shockingly enough, Guinness somehow managed to pull it off. Enter Sapeurs– culturally distinct men in the Democratic Republic of Congo who take the phrase “dress to impress” to a whole new level. This advertisement […]