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94-702: Operations began in central Africa in March 2012. RTF military operations effectively ended in mid-2017 with the withdrawal of Ugandan and U.S. troops, and the AU officially ended the RCI-LRA on 20 September 2018. In November 2011, the African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council authorised a Regional Co-operation Initiative for the elimination of the Lord's Resistance Army (sometimes referred to as RCI-LRA). The so-called Lord's Resistance Army

188-531: A cult of personality of its leader, Joseph Kony . Although the LRA has been regarded primarily as a Christian militia, the LRA reportedly evokes Acholi nationalism on occasion; many observers doubt the sincerity of this behaviour and the loyalty of Kony to any ideology. The original aims of the group were more closely aligned with those of its predecessor, the Holy Spirit Movement . Protection of

282-514: A $ 5m (£3.3m) reward for information leading to his arrest. At the end of 2014, Ongwen escaped detention by Joseph Kony for having disobeyed Kony's orders and having refused to answer Kony's radio messages. Having escaped the camp near Songo, in Kafia Kingi, Ongwen came across nomadic cattle herders who took him to a Seleka rebel group near Sam Ouandja in CAR. The former Seleka group commander reached out to

376-682: A botched United Nations special forces raid targeting the LRA deputy leader Vincent Otti in DR Congo . According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the LRA attacks and the government's counterinsurgency measures resulted in the displacement of nearly 95 percent of the Acholi population in three districts of northern Uganda. By 2006, 1.7 million people lived in more than 200 IDP camps in northern Uganda. These camps had some of

470-638: A criminal gang than an army, smuggling ivory and arms across the DR Congo border. In 2024, LRA officer Thomas Kwoyelo was tried in Uganda on charges including rape, murder, kidnapping, and enslavement of civilians. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Part of the structural causes of the LRA conflict has been explained as rooted in the "diversity of ethnic groups which were at different levels of socio-economic development and political organization", leading to ethnic strife. Enemy images have instilled insensitivity to

564-690: A future marked by stability and autonomy within a multi-party democracy in a new Ugandan state bound by the Ten Commandments . The LRA was listed as a terrorist group by the United States , but it has since been removed from the list of designated active terrorist groups . It has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including murder , abduction , mutilation , child sex slavery , and recruitment of child soldiers . Uganda's north and south are politically divided. The south and east are largely inhabited by Bantu -speakers, such as

658-579: A groundswell of mistrust by the population against virtually any overtures from the government to the rebels. This cynical strategy, some argue, was deeply rooted and employed in Luwero triangle by the National Resistance Movement (NRM)/NRA rebels during their five-year bush war in order to garner popular support, with an underlying drive of "unique greed for absolute political power" in total abhorrence of democratic means. The strong imbalance in

752-635: A merchant in Mboki, who in turn called an NGO worker in Obo. The latter reached out to the American Special Forces in Obo, CAR. An American helicopter dispatched to Sam Ouandja picked up Ongwen and brought him to Obo. The Seleka were initially unaware of Ongwen's identity but learned about it after the case became public in the media. The Seleka commander told the RFI he hoped to receive the promised reward of $ 5m. However,

846-579: A new four-nation African Union military force (a brigade of 5,000, including contingents from DR Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan) to hunt down Kony and the remnants of the LRA but asked for more international assistance for the task force. In 2012 the LRA was reported to be in Djema, Central African Republic, but forces pursuing the LRA withdrew in April 2013 after the government of

940-612: A peaceful solution to the crisis. In December 2009, the LRA forces under Dominic Ongwen killed at least 321 civilians and abducted 250 others during a four-day attack in the village and region of Makombo in DR Congo. In February 2010, about 100 people were killed by the LRA in Kpanga , near DR Congo's border with the Central African Republic and Sudan. Small-scale attacks continued daily, displacing large numbers of people and worsening an ongoing humanitarian crisis , which

1034-514: A reputation as having been possessed by spirits and became a spiritual figure or a medium. He and a small group of followers first moved beyond his home village of Odek on 1 April 1987. A few days later, he met a group of former Uganda National Liberation Front soldiers from the Black Battalion whom he managed to recruit. They then launched a raid on the city of Gulu . By August 1987, Auma's Holy Spirit Mobile Force scored several victories on

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1128-494: A similar superstition, encouraging soldiers to use oil to draw a cross on their chest as protection from bullets. During a later interview, however, Auma distanced herself from Kony, claiming that the Holy Spirit did not want soldiers to kill civilians or prisoners of war. Kony sought to align himself with Auma and, in turn, garner support from her constituents, even going so far as to claim they were cousins. Meanwhile, Kony gained

1222-401: A threat: "The most important thing is that no matter how little the LRA may be, it still constitutes a danger [as] they continue to attack and create havoc." Since the LRA first started fighting in the 1990s, they may have forced well over 10,000 boys and girls into combat, often killing family, neighbors, and school teachers in the process. Many of these children were put on the frontlines so

1316-617: A total authorised strength of 5,000) and completed the three Sectors envisioned with bases at Dungu (DRC), Obo (CAR) and Nzara (South Sudan). Force headquarters is at Yambio in South Sudan, The first Force Commander was Ugandan Colonel, later acting Brigadier Dick Olum (UPDF) and the Deputy Force Commander was Colonel Gabriel Ayok Akuok (of South Sudan’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army). United States Special Forces had, since 2010, been assisting Ugandan forces in their operations against

1410-528: A video recording in which he claimed that he had surrendered because he had come to realize that he was "wasting his time in the bush" as "the LRA has no future". He urged other insurgents to resume their civilian lives. On 26 January 2015, Ongwen made his first appearance before the ICC, but the commencement of the confirmation of charges hearing was postponed in order to allow the Prosecutor to prepare adequately for

1504-711: Is a Christian extremist organization operating in Central Africa and East Africa . Its origins were in the Ugandan insurgency (1986–1994) against President Yoweri Museveni , during which Joseph Kony founded the LRA in 1987. The group is active in northern Uganda , South Sudan , Sudan , the Central African Republic , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Its stated goal is against internal oppression under successive regimes, notably President Museveni's. Movements like

1598-587: Is a Ugandan former child soldier and former commander of one of the brigades of the Ugandan guerrilla group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). He was detained in 2014 and in 2021 the International Criminal Court convicted him of war crimes and crimes against humanity , including murder, rape, torture, and enslavement. Dominic Okumu Savio (his birth name) was born in the village of Choorum, Kilak County, Amuru district, Northern Uganda around 1975,

1692-538: Is an armed group originating in northern Uganda and responsible for widespread murder, torture, child abduction, sex slavery and forced recruitment of child 'soldiers'. The group had been forced out of Uganda and was roaming remote areas of (what is now) South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. Prior to the formation of the AU-RTF Uganda had conducted military raids into

1786-542: Is believed to be a consequence of an ethnic-oriented war that was initiated by the NRM/NRA in Luwero Triangle against the residents of northern Uganda. This was fueled by the belief on the part of the leadership of the NRM/NRA that Ugandan politics had, since political independence ,been dominated by the northerners in the country and that this had happened because of their heavy composition in the armed forces. The determination

1880-583: Is just the name of the movement because we are fighting in the name of God. God is the one helping us in the bush. That's why we created this name, Lord's Resistance Army. And people always ask us, are we fighting for the Ten Commandments of God. That is true—because the Ten Commandments of God is the constitution that God has given to the people of the world. All people. If you go to the constitution, nobody will accept people who steal, nobody could accept to go and take somebody's wife, nobody could accept to kill

1974-437: Is not motivated by any identifiable political agenda, and its military strategy and tactics reflect this". IRIN comments that "the LRA remains one of the least understood rebel movements in the world, and its ideology, as far as it has one, is difficult to understand". During an interview with IRIN, the LRA commander Vincent Otti was asked about the LRA's vision of an ideal government. He responded: Lord's Resistance Army

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2068-405: Is the first ICC case in which an inductee is being charged with the same crimes as those done to him. According to one commentator, "In no other ICC trial have case narratives been so opposite, morally complex and riddled with paradoxes". On 20 January 2015, The Acholi Religious Leaders' Peace Initiative (ARLPI), an interconfessional organisation whose goal is to pursue peaceful resolution to

2162-610: The Baganda people, who were historically agriculturists. Uganda's north is largely inhabited by the Nilotic -speaking Acholi , who had engaged in hunting, farming, and livestock herding in the past. The ethnic and cultural tensions within Uganda grew during the years following the creation of the Protectorate of Uganda in 1894. While the agricultural Baganda people worked closely with the British,

2256-455: The Bible 's ten commandments" were false. In the same speech, Obita also claimed that the LRA's objectives are: The LRA is known for having used several flags and logos over the course of its insurgency. In the course of peace talks in 2006, LRA commander Vincent Otti sketched the official LRA coat of arms, providing it to academic Mareike Schomerus: The emblem consisted of Uganda's national animal,

2350-497: The Carter Center and Pope John Paul II had been spurned by Kony. In February 2004, the LRA unit led by Okot Odhiambo attacked Barlonyo internally displaced person (IDP) camp, killing over 300 people and abducting many others. In 2006, UNICEF estimated that the LRA had abducted at least 25,000 children since the conflict began. In January 2006, eight Guatemalan Kaibiles commandos and at least 15 rebels were killed in

2444-580: The kidnapping of 139 school girls in Aboke in 1996 that were forced to become soldiers and also sex slaves to the soldiers. The government created the so-called "protected camps" beginning in 1996. The LRA declared a short-lived ceasefire for the duration of 1996 Ugandan presidential election , possibly in the hope that Yoweri Museveni would be defeated. Based on 1999 UNICEF data, over 6,000 children were held by LRA rebels in Northern Uganda. In March 2002,

2538-510: The 28,283 deaths, occurring mostly outside camps. In 2006–2008, a series of meetings were held in Juba , Sudan, between the government of Uganda and the LRA, mediated by the south Sudanese separatist leader Riek Machar . The Ugandan government and the LRA signed a truce on 26 August 2006. Under the terms of the agreement, LRA forces would leave Uganda and gather in two assembly areas in the remote Garamba National Park area of northern DR Congo that

2632-482: The AU-RTF. AU-RTF operations were plagued with difficulties even beyond those that might be expected of a multi-national force operating in remote areas across several countries. During March 2013, Seleka rebels overthrew the government of the Central African Republic (CAR), which reduced CAR involvement and made operations in parts of that country difficult. Then, on 15 December 2013, fighting broke out in South Sudan between

2726-436: The Acholi and other northern ethnic groups supplied much of the national manual labor and came to comprise a majority of the military. The southern region became the center for commercial trade development. The livestock-raising Acholi from the north of Uganda were resented for dominating the army and policing. Following the country's independence in 1962 , Uganda's ethnic groups continued to compete with each other within

2820-428: The Acholi population was of particular concern because of the genuine reality of ethnic purges in the history of Uganda. This created a great deal of concern in the Acholi community, as well as a strong desire for formidable leadership and protection. As the conflict has progressed, fewer and fewer Acholi offered sufficient support to the rebels in the eyes of the LRA. This led to an increased amount of violence toward

2914-466: The Central African Republic was overthrown by the Séléka Coalition rebels . The UPDF rescued more than 15,000 people that were abducted since 1986. It is estimated that over 50,000 children were captured during the 20 years in Northern Uganda by LRA. As of 2022, it was reported that the LRA consisted of splinter groups of 1,000 members altogether and was militarily very weak. It acted more like

Regional Cooperation Initiative for the elimination of the LRA - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-564: The Central African Republic's Forces Armées Centrafricaines (FACA) were 'handed over' to the Task Force at Obo in the CAR. Days later, on 18 September 2012, an additional 2000 Ugandan troops and 500 South Sudanese troops were 'handed over' at Yambio in South Sudan. On 13 February 2013, five hundred Congolese troops of a light infantry battalion at Dungu were added to the RTF. This raised the Force to 3,350 (of

3102-576: The Congo . Ongwen and a former wife featured in a film Picking up the Pieces by IRIN and released in October 2007. Uganda People's Defence Force spokesperson Maj. Felix Kulayije commented, "Unfortunately, the bastard is still alive." Ongwen was the lowest ranking of the five LRA leaders for whom the ICC issued their first ever warrants in June 2005. He is the only one whom the court succeeded in detaining, and, with

3196-558: The Democratic Republic of Congo, targeting LRA camps (see article 2008–09 Garamba offensive ). Most notably Operation Lightning Thunder, launched on 14 December 2008, saw aerial bombardment of the main LRA camp in the Garamba National Park , Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was followed by ground troops searching former rebel camps. During July 2005, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for

3290-486: The Federal Democratic Movement (FEDEMO), were known for their lack of discipline and brutal actions meant that the civilian population was accused of supporting the rebel LRA; likewise, the rebels accused the population of supporting the government army. In March 1991, the Ugandan governments NRA started Operation North, which combined efforts to destroy the LRA, while cutting away its roots of support among

3384-579: The ICC approach which they consider to be punitive and retributive. Geoffry Omony, programme director of YOLRED, an organisation that supports former soldiers, supports this point of view. Other commentators consider that the ICC indictments directly contradict the Ugandan Parliament's blanket amnesty which has led to the demobilisation and reintegration of tens of thousands of rebels. Family members, including his wife Florence Ayot and his brother Charles Ojar also pleaded for Ongwen not to be tried at

3478-630: The ICC. Victims, however, have expressed hope in the ICC trial, claiming that without it there would be no justice in their lifetime for the grave violations they had endured during the conflict. Others have pointed to the failure of the Ugandan government to protect Ongwen from abduction when he was a child. On 4 February 2021, in a judgment of 1077 pages, Ongwen was convicted on 61 crimes, comprising both crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder and attempted murder; rape; sexual slavery; forced marriage; torture; enslavement; outrage upon personal dignity; conscription and use of children under

3572-619: The LRA attacks in DR Congo resulted in displacing as many as 320,000 Congolese, exposing them to famine and disease, according to UNICEF director Ann Veneman . Also in August 2009, the LRA attacked a Catholic church in Ezo, South Sudan , on the Feast of the Assumption , with reports of victims being crucified , causing Ugandan Archbishop John Baptist Odama to call upon the international community for help in finding

3666-535: The LRA broke off negotiations, accusing the government of trying to entrap them. Starting in the mid-1990s, the LRA was strengthened by military support from the government of Sudan , which was retaliating against Ugandan government support for rebels in what would become South Sudan . The LRA fought with the NRA army which led to mass atrocities such as the killing or abduction of several hundred villagers in Atiak in 1995 and

3760-410: The LRA conflict, issued a statement opposing Ongwen's detention and trial at the ICC. Seeing him as a victim, they recommend that he should be brought back to Uganda to undergo "the rituals of 'Mato Oput' (Reconciliation) for all that he went through during his time in "LRA captivity". The signatories contrast this traditional approach, which promotes restoration, transformation, healing and new life, with

3854-601: The LRA have articulated demands that include President Museveni's immediate resignation, the dissolution of the National Resistance Army (NRA) and Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), and the establishment of an independent government reflecting ethnic diversity and democratic principles. This struggle has exacted a heavy humanitarian toll, with widespread displacement, loss of life, and atrocities against civilians devastating northern Uganda, particularly Acholiland . Despite allegations of brutality, groups like

Regional Cooperation Initiative for the elimination of the LRA - Misplaced Pages Continue

3948-404: The LRA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. These forces continued to assist the AU-RTF through to early 2017. But in March 2017 it was reported that U.S. operations would shortly be coming to an end after the Lord's Resistance Army had been reduced to a point of 'irrelevance'. In mid-2013, after nine months of operations, Brigadier Dick Olum went to serve with

4042-407: The LRA seek international recognition, framing their actions as self-defense and resistance against government injustices. The conflict has also profoundly impacted Acholi society, disrupting education, fracturing traditional family structures, and precipitating forced migration, contributing to a cultural erosion. Amid complex geopolitical dynamics and international scrutiny, they wish to move toward

4136-503: The LRA's commandment given as "Thou shalt not smoke." In a speech, James Obita , a former secretary for external affairs and mobilisation of the LRA, adamantly denied that the LRA was "just an Acholi thing" and stated that claims made by the media and Museveni administration asserting that the LRA is a "group of Christian fundamentalists with bizarre beliefs whose aim is to topple the Museveni regime and replace it with governance based on

4230-645: The LRA, in response to Uganda lending military support to the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). According to Matthew Green , author of The Wizard of the Nile: The Hunt for Africa's Most Wanted , the LRA was highly organised and equipped with crew-operated weapons, VHF radios , and satellite phones . In 2001, it was also reported that LRA targets Sudanese refugees. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on 8 July and 27 September 2005 against Joseph Kony , his deputy Vincent Otti , and

4324-700: The Lukodi IDP Camp in the Gulu District, Uganda. The charges all relate to an attack on a camp for internally displaced people in Uganda in 2004. On 21 December 2015, the ICC charged Dominic Ongwen with crimes in addition to those set out in the warrant of arrest: a total of seventy counts. The additional charges related to attacks on the Pajule IDP camp, the Odek IDP camp and the Abok IDP camp. The counts brought against

4418-666: The NRA, now the UPDF , launched a massive military offensive code-named Operation Iron Fist against the LRA bases in southern Sudan, with agreement from the National Islamic Front . In retaliation, the LRA attacked the refugee camps in northern Uganda and the Eastern Equatoria in southern Sudan (now South Sudan), brutally killing hundreds of civilians. By 2004, according to the UPDF spokesperson Shaban Bantariza , mediation efforts by

4512-449: The NRM's more than 20 year rule. Although poverty at times may be treated as an escalating factor which creates resentment in society, its role in the conflict in northern Uganda is part of the underlying class structural factors. The Poverty Status Report, 2003, indicates that "one-third of the chronically poor (30.1%) and a disproportionate moving into poverty are from northern Uganda". The LRA

4606-489: The UN described as one of the worst in the world. By May 2010, the LRA killed over 1,600 Congolese civilians and abducted more than 2,500. Between September 2008 and July 2011, the group, despite being down to only a few hundred fighters, had killed more than 2,300 people, abducted more than 3,000, and displaced over 400,000 across DR Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. In March 2012, Uganda announced it would head

4700-471: The UPDF lost one to three of their own personnel. During January 2016, the UPDF’s 11 Battalion was based in CAR with the AU-RTF. In mid-2016, it was reported that Uganda would withdraw its contribution to the AU-RTF. But AU-RTF operations were apparently continuing in late 2016, when a member of the Task Force was reported abducted by a rebel group in South Sudan's Gbudue State. On 19 April 2017, not long after

4794-609: The Ugandan contingent in Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia . Ugandan Brigadier Sam Kavuma replaced him as Commander of the AU-RTF. Intensified operations against the rebel group were then indicated by the launch of 'Operation Monsoon' on 9 August 2013. It was soon afterwards announced that Okot Odhiambo , one of the LRA's top leaders, was killed. His death was later confirmed as having occurred on 27 October 2013. A major success occurred on 28 November 2013, when

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4888-604: The Ugandan government agreed not to attack. Between December 2008–March 2009, the armed forces of Uganda, DR Congo, and South Sudan launched aerial attacks and raids on the LRA camps in Garamba, destroying them. The efforts to inflict a military defeat on the LRA were not fully successful. The US supported Operation Lightning Thunder against the LRA. There were brutal revenge attacks by scattered LRA remnants, with over 1,000 people killed and hundreds abducted in DR Congo and South Sudan. Hundreds of thousands were displaced while fleeing

4982-411: The age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities; pillaging; destruction of property and persecution. On 6 May 2021 the ICC pronounced a joint prison sentence of 25 years, taking into account the gravity of the crimes committed, as well as aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The Defence filed appeals against the conviction (21 July 2021) and the sentence (26 August 2021). On 15 December 2022,

5076-515: The announcement of the United States' troop withdrawal, Uganda announced the end of LRA pursuit operations in the Central African Republic. The rebel group was thought to have been depleted to the point where it no longer presented a military threat, although local people and non-government agencies expressed concern at Uganda's withdrawal from the Central African Republic. Lord%27s Resistance Army The Lord's Resistance Army ( LRA )

5170-457: The area—trust neither the LRA nor government forces". He believes that "a Ugandan political solution" ("political process"), rather than "military mobilisation" and international "escalation", was what was needed to resolve this conflict. The LRA's ideology is disputed among academics. In practice, "the LRA is not motivated by any identifiable political agenda, and its military strategy and tactics reflect this". It appears to largely function as

5264-557: The battlefield and began a march toward the capital, Kampala . In 1988, after the Holy Spirit Movement was decisively defeated in the Jinja District and Auma fled to Kenya , Kony seized this opportunity to recruit the Holy Spirit remnants. The LRA occasionally carried out local attacks to underline the inability of the government to protect the population. The fact that most NRA government forces, in particular, former members of

5358-518: The bounds of Uganda's new political system. In 1986, the armed rebellion led by Yoweri Museveni 's NRA won the Ugandan Bush War and took control of the country. The victors sought vengeance against ethnic groups in the North of Uganda. Their activities included Operation Simsim, which engaged in burning, looting, and killings of locals. Such acts of violence led to the formation of rebel groups from

5452-588: The camp of one of the few remaining rebel bands was reported destroyed. In what may have been the same skirmish a rebel commander – 'Colonel' Samuel Kangul – was killed, along with 13 fighters, when AU-RTF elements ambushed a meeting of two rebel bands on the banks of River Vovodo near its confluence with the Ofoto and Chinko tributaries. Ten AK-47 assault rifles, one PKM machine-gun, five hand guns, more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition and communications gear were captured. In October 2014, AU-RTF Commander Brigadier Sam Kavuma

5546-482: The casualty rate for these children has been high. The LRA have often used children to fight because they are easy to replace by raiding schools or villages. According to Livingstone Sewanyana, executive director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative, the government was the first to use child soldiers in this conflict. Although unproven, there have been rumors that Sudan may have provided military assistance to

5640-473: The central government and forces supporting the former Vice-President, Riek Machar. To add to the difficulties, Ugandan forces were restricted from operating in the DRC. On 29/30 June 2014, UPDF elements of the AU-RTF clashed with Seleka fighters at Zako and Kono villages, in the Central African Republic close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was reported that 12 to 15 rebels were killed while

5734-513: The conscription and use of children under the age of 15 to participate actively in hostilities from 2002 to 2005, in Sinia Brigade. The charges are based on evidence which included witness statements or transcripts of interviews of a total of 123 witnesses, records of intercepted LRA radio communications, and oral testimonies of seven witnesses in September and November 2015. In 2013, US offered

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5828-405: The crane, standing atop two palm fronds forming a circle; within the circle there is a star, a crescent moon, and a heart containing the Ten Commandments ; over and below the palm fronds the group's name can be found on two small banners. At the time, Otti stated that crane signified pride in Uganda, the palm fronds stood for peace, the Ten Commandments for the group's commitment to Christianity, and

5922-408: The crescent for the oneness of God regardless of religion. Otti claimed that the symbol adorned every LRA uniform, and that he had designed it. It is unclear whether the group continued to use the symbol after Otti's alleged execution by Kony. By 2010, the LRA no longer used standardized uniforms, instead plundering clothing from enemy armies. Furthermore, its troops often adorned their uniforms with

6016-452: The exception of the leader, Joseph Kony , is the only one now left alive. He was initially charged with four counts of war crimes (murder, cruel treatment of civilians, intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population and pillaging) and three counts of crimes against humanity (murder, enslavement, and inhumane acts of inflicting serious bodily injury and suffering). The crimes were allegedly committed on or about 20 May 2004 at

6110-427: The extent that people perceived as enemies can be deemed inconsequential. A former Cabinet minister who was a key figure in the Presidential Peace Team while addressing elders in Lango on the atrocities committed by the NRA in the northern districts of Gulu , Kitgum , Lira , Apac , and Teso , warned them that "they did not matter as long as the south was stable". This sense of betrayal on the northerners festered into

6204-403: The first warrants issued by the ICC since it was established in 2002. Details of the warrants were sent to the three countries where the LRA is active: Uganda, Sudan (the LRA was active in what is now South Sudan ), and DR Congo. The LRA leadership has long stated that they would never surrender unless they were granted immunity from prosecution; so the ICC order to arrest them raised concerns that

6298-467: The flags of enemy states to confuse their opponents, for instance using the regular flag of Uganda and the flag of Luxembourg . The Sudan Tribune also attributed a red-black-blue flag to the LRA. In 2007, the government of Uganda claimed that the LRA had only 500 or 1,000 soldiers in total, but other sources estimated that there could have been as many as 3,000 soldiers, along with about 1,500 women and children. By 2011, unofficial estimates were in

6392-409: The founder and leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, Joseph Kony , together with four of his top leaders. Of these, Raska Lukwiya was killed on 12 August 2006, and deputy leader Vincent Otti was executed by firing squad, on Kony’s orders, on 2 October 2007. Thus at the time the AU Regional Task Force was formed Joseph Kony , Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen were still at large. The RCI-LRA

6486-501: The fourth son of Ronald Owiya and Alexy Acayo, two schoolteachers living in Paibona. His parents, like most others in Acoliland at the time, gave him a false name and trained him to use it if ever he was abducted, to protect the rest of the family. This name, Ongwen, means "born at the time of the white ant". It was later to become his nom de guerre . Ongwen was abducted by the LRA as he walked to Abili Primary School in Koro. According to his own testimony this happened in 1988 when he

6580-503: The hearing and to comply with the Chamber's instructions. On 6 February 2015, ICC severed the proceedings against Dominic Ongwen from the case of The Prosecutor v. Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen . As the three other suspects in the case had not appeared or had not been apprehended, the Chamber deemed this necessary so as not to delay the pre-trial proceedings against Mr Ongwen. The trial lasted from 6 December 2016 to 12 March 2020. 4107 victims were granted

6674-404: The highest mortality rates in the world. The Ugandan Ministry of Health and partners estimated that, through the first seven months of 2005, about 1,000 people were dying weekly, chiefly from malaria and AIDS . During the same time period of January–July 2005, the LRA abducted 1,286 Ugandans (46.4 percent of whom were children under the age of 15 years), and violence accounted for 9.4 percent of

6768-452: The innocent, or whatever. The Ten Commandments carries all this. The Norwegian scholar Knut Holter has argued that what the LRA means by the "Ten Commandments" is somewhat loosely associated with the Ten Commandments as found in the Biblical text. Holter notes that the LRA have created new commandments that help propagate their ideology under the term the "Ten Commandments". One such example is

6862-477: The insurgency would not have a negotiated end. The indictments received warm praise within the international community. However, the Acholi people showed mixed reactions. Many felt that amnesty for the LRA soldiers and a negotiated settlement was the best hope for the end of the war. In the end, the court's intent to prosecute the leaders of the LRA reduced the army's willingness to cooperate in peace negotiations. Dominic Ongwen Dominic Ongwen (born 1975)

6956-439: The level of development and investment between Eastern and Northern Uganda on the one side, and Central and Western Uganda on the other perceived as wealthy, is a manifestation of economic marginalization of the region, in spite of the fact most top leadership in Uganda hailed from the north between 1962 and 1985. This marginalization with the consequences of wars, has resulted in varying poverty levels in northern Uganda, for most of

7050-763: The massacres. The military action in DR Congo did not result in the capture or killing of Kony, who remained elusive. During December 2008, the LRA massacred at least 143 people and abducted 180 at a concert celebration sponsored by the Roman Catholic church in Faradje in DR Congo. The LRA struck several other communities in the near-simultaneous attacks: 75 people were murdered in a church near Dungu , at least 80 were killed in Batande, 48 in Bangadi , and 213 in Gurba . By August 2009,

7144-555: The non-combatant population, which in turn further alienated them from the rebels. This self-perpetuating cycle led to the creation of a strict divide between Acholis and rebels—a divide that was previously not explicitly present. Robert Gersony , in a report funded by the U.S. embassy in Kampala in 1997, concluded that "the LRA has no political program or ideology, at least none that the local population has heard or can understand". The International Crisis Group has stated that "the LRA

7238-462: The population through heavy-handed tactics. As part of Operation North, the army created the "Arrow Groups", village guards mostly armed with bows and arrows. The creation of the Arrow Groups angered Kony, who began to feel that he no longer had the support of the population. After the failure of Operation North, Betty Oyella Bigombe initiated the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of

7332-455: The range of 300 to 400 combatants, with more than half believed to be abductees. The soldiers are organized into independent squads of 10 or 20 soldiers. By early 2012, the LRA had been reduced to a force of between 200 and 250 fighters, according to Ugandan defence minister Crispus Kiyonga . Abou Moussa, the UN envoy in the region, said in March 2012 that the LRA was believed to have dwindled to between 200 and 700 followers but still remained

7426-443: The ranks of the previous Ugandan army, Uganda National Liberation Army . Many of those groups made peace with Museveni. The southern-dominated army, however, did not stop attacking civilians in the north of the country. Therefore, by late 1987 to early 1988, a civilian resistance movement led by Alice Auma was formed. Auma did not pick up arms against the central government; her members carried sticks and stones. She believed she

7520-457: The rebel LRA and NRA government. The rebels asked for a general amnesty for their combatants and to "return home", but the government stance was hampered by disagreement over the credibility of the LRA negotiators and political infighting. At a meeting in January 1994, Kony asked for six months to regroup his troops but by early February, the tone of the negotiations was growing increasingly bitter and

7614-574: The reward was never paid, and the Americans never publicly acknowledged the Seleka rebels' role in the capture. Ongwen was then transferred successively to the Ugandan forces, the Central African Republic forces, and ultimately to the ICC. During the time between his arrest and his transfer to the ICC Ongwen participated in several media activities including a radio broadcast, meetings with journalists and

7708-438: The right to participate in the proceedings though most chose to participate in the trial through legal representation. On 26 January 2016, Ongwen appeared for a pre-trial hearing. On 23 March 2016, the ICC confirmed the 70 charges brought against him and committed him to trial. Ongwen denied all the charges against him. During his detention, he has been visited by family members. He became father to another child following

7802-468: The suspect in the context of these attacks include attacks against the civilian population, murder, attempted murder, torture, cruel treatment, other inhumane acts, enslavement, outrages upon personal dignity, pillaging, destruction of property, and persecution. The expanded charges against Dominic Ongwen also include sexual and gender-based crimes committed from 2002 to 2005 in Sinia Brigade – forced marriage, rape, torture, sexual slavery, and enslavement – and

7896-522: The three LRA commanders Okot Odhiambo and Raska Lukwiya , deputy army commanders, and Dominic Ongwen , brigade commander of the Sania Brigade of the LRA. The five LRA leaders were charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, rape, and sexual slavery. Ongwen was the only of the five not charged with recruiting child soldiers. The warrants were filed under seal; public redacted versions were released on 13 October 2005. These were

7990-616: The visit of one of his wives. He has also been visited by four Acholi leaders, including the Paramount chief, His Highness David Onen Achana II, and the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Gulu John Baptist Odama . During this visit he asked for a rosary, a hymn book and a prayer book. Ongwen's case is unique because he himself was abducted by the LRA and forced to be a child soldier before rising to leadership. So this

8084-501: Was deployed to Somalia and his place taken by Brigadier Lucky Kidega. By March 2016 the Ugandan AU-RTF Commander was Colonel Richard Otto. Eventually another success was scored by the AU-RTF when the second-highest ranking rebel in the LRA – 'Major General' Dominic Ongwen – surrendered to Seleka rebels in the Central African Republic on 3 January 2015. Ongwen was transferred to U.S Special Forces and then Ugandan elements of

8178-408: Was fourteen. However it has often been reported that he was nine or ten, and also that he was carried by other captives all the way up to the LRA's main military bases because he was 'too little to walk'. When Ongwen's mother heard that he had been kidnapped, she refused to run away with the other villagers saying she was ready to face the rebels. On their return, they found her dead and his father

8272-463: Was in 1993 that Florence Ayot, herself an abductee, was "transferred" to Ongwen after her own husband died. He also fathered at least eleven children, four of them with Florence Ayot. Some sources claim he had "more than 20 children". Ayot later testified to the ICC that Ongwen, along with two other commanders and herself, had plotted to escape but their plan was discovered and Ongwen was demoted, disarmed and imprisoned for more than two weeks. Ongwen

8366-464: Was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. Auma portrayed herself as a prophet who received messages from the Holy Spirit and expressed the belief that the Acholi could defeat the Museveni government. She preached that her followers should cover their bodies with shea nut oil as protection from bullets, never take cover or retreat in battle, and never kill snakes or bees. Joseph Kony would later preach

8460-409: Was later found dead too. According to Private Eye , as a child Ongwen tried to escape; when caught he was forced to skin one of the others alive. Later, he had forced female prisoners to beat other prisoners to death, and he presided over death by stoning. Once abducted, he underwent initiation ceremonies which included torture and being forced to watch violent rituals of people being killed. He

8554-715: Was planned to comprise three elements: a Joint Co-ordination Mechanism, chaired by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security and made up of the Ministers of Defence of the four affected countries (Uganda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic); a Regional Task Force Headquarters; and, third, the Regional Task Force (AU-RTF) of up to 5,000 troops from the four countries. The AU-RTF took form in September 2012, when 360 troops of

8648-631: Was reported killed in combat with a unit of the Uganda People's Defence Force on 10 October 2005, and the identity of the body was confirmed by former LRA commanders. However, in July 2006, the ICC reported that genetic fingerprinting of the body confirmed that it was not Ongwen's. News reports of the time put Ongwen in southwest Equatoria , Southern Sudan , attempting to rejoin LRA head Joseph Kony in Garamba , Ituri Province , northeastern Democratic Republic of

8742-620: Was subsequently indoctrinated under the tutelage of Vincent Otti , while still a child, as an LRA fighter. He then rose within the ranks becoming a major at the age of 18 and brigadier of the Sinia Brigade, one of the four LRA brigades, by his late twenties. Ongwen was a member of the "Control Altar" of the LRA that directs military strategy. During his time with the LRA, Ongwen had multiple wives, including Jennifer, Santa (Min Tata), Margaret, Florence Ayot, Agnes Aber (Min Ayari), Fatuma and Nancy Abwot. It

8836-419: Was that this domination of politics in Uganda by the northerners was no longer acceptable and had to end. This suggested that until the objective of removing the northerners from power had been achieved and all threats from those quarters removed, the war in the north had to continue. In 2012, scholar Mahmood Mamdani argued that "[t]he reason why the LRA continues is that its victims—the civilian population of

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