This is an accepted version of this page
77-578: [REDACTED] Look up kony in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Kony or KONY may refer to: Geography [ edit ] Kóny , a village in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary People [ edit ] Joseph Kony (born 1961), a Ugandan guerrilla leader Kony Ealy (born 1991), American football player Films [ edit ] Kony (film) , an Indian Bengali-language film about
154-536: A Ugandan spokesperson saying, "the LRA no longer poses a threat to us as Uganda". At that time, his force was estimated to have shrunk to around 100 soldiers. In April 2022, DW News reported that a number of LRA members said Kony was hiding in the Darfur region of Sudan. From there, he was allegedly giving orders to his fighters. One former member said that the fighters were "tired and unmotivated", and leaving in favor of living
231-468: A considerable setback for Joseph Kony's fight to evade capture. On 6 June, the UN secretary-general , Ban Ki-moon , released an initial report covering the activities of the LRA from 2009 to 2012. The report itself stated that "at least 45 children have been killed and maimed" during this time period and at least "591 children, including 268 girls have been abducted". Though it was noted by Radhika Coomaraswamy ,
308-708: A definitive end to the insurgency. Following a period in which the peace talks were suspended, the Juba Initiative Project enabled the resumption of the talks in May 2007, thanks to the efforts of the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for LRA-affected areas, Joaquim Chissano . The talks were again mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan, but with the support of
385-507: A historic blow to the LRA's command structure." On 15 January 2015, LRA rebels conducted a number of kidnappings in the villages of Bulumasi and Pangali, Bondo territory, DRC. A total of 10 people were taken hostage during the incident. On 21 January 2015, LRA militants killed three FARDC soldiers in the aftermath of an ambush conducted at the town of Nangume in the vicinity of Wando , DRC. Dozens of civilians were wounded, three were abducted and two hundred families were also displaced from
462-553: A key member of the LRA and constituted one of Kony's senior aides in the organization. Kidnapped as a child, he became a soldier in the LRA, then rose through the organization's hierarchy. Ongwen surrendered himself to representatives of the CAR in January 2015, which was a major blow to Kony's group. Ugandan army spokesman Paddy Ankunda stated that the event "puts the LRA in the most vulnerable position" and that it "is only Kony left standing". Of
539-683: A letter to the UN Secretary-General demanding that an economic embargo be placed on Uganda in retaliation. A series of meetings were held in Juba starting in July 2006 between the government of Uganda and the LRA. The talks were mediated by Riek Machar , the Vice President of Southern Sudan , and by the Community of Sant'Egidio . The talks, which resulted in a ceasefire by September 2006, were described as
616-621: A normal life. Kony was previously provided with armed and logistical support from former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir . Kony was reportedly settled in a camp 10 miles from a village named Yemen in April 2024. In the same month, hearing the news of the surrender of 14 LRA members to the government forces, the Wagner Group attacked Kony's camp , prompting him and his 71 men to flee towards Sudan. • "Interview with Vincent Otti, LRA second in command" Archived 29 September 2007 at
693-591: A proponent of polygamy , and is thought to have had 60 wives, and to have fathered 42 children. Kony insists that he and the LRA are fighting for the Ten Commandments , and defended his actions in an interview, saying, "Is it bad? It is not against human rights. And that commandment was not given by Joseph. It was not given by LRA. No, those commandments were given by God." Ugandan political leader Betty Bigombe recalled that Kony and his followers used oil to ward off bullets and evil spirits . Kony claims to be
770-494: A spirit medium. In 2008, responding to a request by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to engage in peace talks via telephone, he said, "I will communicate with Museveni through the holy spirits and not through the telephone." During peace talks in 1994, Kony was preceded by men in robes sprinkling holy water . According to Francis Ongom, a former LRA officer who defected, Kony "has found Bible justifications for killing witches, for killing [those who farm or eat] pigs because of
847-432: A surge of attention in early March 2012, when a 30-minute documentary, Kony 2012 , by US filmmaker Jason Russell for the campaign group Invisible Children, Inc. was released. The intention of the production was to draw attention to Kony in an effort to increase US involvement in the issue and have Kony arrested by the end of 2012. A poll suggested that more than half of young adult Americans heard about Kony 2012 in
SECTION 10
#1732858345064924-643: A tour of northern Uganda to meet victims of the insurgency and ask their forgiveness. However, reports surfaced that LRA deputy commander Otti had been executed on or around 8 October 2007 over an internal power struggle with Kony . In February 2008, LRA launched its first known attack in the Central African Republic in Bassigbiri , Haut-Mbomou . In the next month, LRA raided the first major town in Haut-Mbomou, Obo . In June 2008, diplomats reported that
1001-478: A unilateral ceasefire and asked the Ugandan government to reciprocate. ICC indictee Raska Lukwiya was killed in battle on 12 August 2006. The government and the LRA signed a truce on 26 August 2006. Under the terms of the agreement, LRA forces will leave Uganda and gather in two assembly areas protected by the government of Sudan. The Ugandan government agreed not to attack those areas. LRA rebels had begun gathering in
1078-692: Is a member of the Acholi people . His father, Luizi Obol, was a farmer and lay catechist of the Catholic Church. Kony's mother, Nora Oting, was an Anglican and also a farmer. He was either the youngest or second-youngest of six children in the family. His older sister, Gabriela Lakot, still lives in Odek. He enjoyed a good relationship with his siblings, but was quick to retaliate in a dispute, and when confronted, would often resort to physical violence. Kony never finished elementary school, dropping out at age 15. He
1155-581: Is an ongoing conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan militant religious extremist group, against the government of Uganda. Following the Ugandan Civil War , militant Joseph Kony formed the Lord's Resistance Army and launched an insurgency against the newly installed President Yoweri Museveni . The stated goal was to establish a Christian state based on the Ten Commandments . Currently, there
1232-699: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Joseph Kony Joseph Rao Kony (born c. 1961 ) is a Ugandan militant and warlord who founded the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Peacekeepers , the European Union , and various other governments including the United Kingdom and United States of America. An Acholi , Kony served as an altar boy in his childhood. After
1309-714: Is low-level LRA activity in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic . Kony proclaims himself the 'spokesperson' of God and a spirit medium . The insurgency has become one of Africa's longest conflicts and has resulted in a lasting humanitarian crisis . The LRA has been accused by the International Criminal Court of widespread human rights violations , including mutilation , torture , slavery , rape ,
1386-407: The Acholi people and turn Uganda into a theocracy . Kony proclaims himself the spokesperson of God and a spirit medium and claims he is visited by a multinational host of 13 spirits, including a Chinese phantom. Ideologically, the group is a syncretic mix of mysticism , Acholi nationalism, and heterodox Christian fundamentalism , and claims to be establishing a theocratic state based on
1463-613: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the first time. President Museveni declared that, if Congolese authorities did not disarm the LRA combatants, the UPDF would be sent across the border in pursuit. This sparked a diplomatic row between the governments of the DRC and Uganda, with both militaries making a show of force along their border, while the Congolese ambassador to the United Nations sent
1540-524: The LRA combatants are abducted children, a military offensive against the LRA is widely perceived by the Acholi as a massacre of victims. Government attempts to destroy the rebels are thus viewed as another cause for grievance by the Acholi. The moral ambiguity of this situation, in which abducted young rebels are both the victims and perpetrators of brutal acts, is central to the conflicted attitudes of many Acholi towards
1617-517: The Luwero triangle , the NRA committed numerous acts of brutality against the Acholi . Fearing the loss of their customary dominance over the national military, some Acholis rebelled. By August, the northern districts held by the new government forces had erupted into a full-fledged popular insurrection. In January 1987, Joseph Kony made his first appearance as a spirit medium, one of many who emerged following
SECTION 20
#17328583450641694-669: The Ten Commandments and local Acholi tradition. In October 2006, the ICC announced that arrest warrants had been issued for five members of the Lord's Resistance Army for crimes against humanity following a sealed indictment. On the next day, Ugandan defense minister Amama Mbabazi revealed that the warrants include Kony, his deputy Vincent Otti , and LRA commanders Raska Lukwiya , Okot Odhiambo , and Dominic Ongwen . The Ugandan army killed Lukwiya on 12 August 2006. The BBC received information that Otti had been killed on 2 October 2007, at Kony's home. In November 2006, Kony met Jan Egeland ,
1771-700: The Ugandan Civil War , Kony participated in the subsequent insurgency against president Yoweri Museveni under the Holy Spirit Movement or the Uganda People's Democratic Army before founding the LRA in 1987. Aiming to create a Christian state based on dominion theology , Kony directed the multi-decade Lord's Resistance Army insurgency . After Kony's terror activities, he was banished from Uganda and shifted to South Sudan . Kony has long been one of Africa's most notorious and most wanted militant warlords. He has been accused by government entities of ordering
1848-903: The Wayback Machine and "A leadership based on claims of divine revelations" Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine in IRIN In Depth , June 2007 Lord%27s Resistance Army insurgency Ongoing (Low-level) [REDACTED] Yoweri Museveni [REDACTED] Robinah Nabbanja [REDACTED] Félix Tshisekedi [REDACTED] Sama Lukonde [REDACTED] Faustin-Archange Touadéra [REDACTED] Félix Moloua [REDACTED] Salva Kiir [REDACTED] Bintou Keita [REDACTED] UPDF [REDACTED] FARDC [REDACTED] FACA [REDACTED] SPLA 2002: [REDACTED] 65,000−75,000 2010: [REDACTED] 46,800 2014: [REDACTED] 1,500 The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
1925-594: The civil war in the south of the country. Also, convinced that the Acholi were now collaborating with the Museveni government, Kony began to target civilians with his increased military strength. Mutilations became commonplace (especially cutting off ears, lips, and nose), and 1994 saw the first mass abduction of children and youth. The most infamous of these was the Aboke abductions of 139 female students in October 1996. As most of
2002-561: The CAR, Sudan, and the DRC where he was last seen. After the September 11 attacks , the United States designated the LRA a terrorist group. In August 2008, the US Department of State declared Kony a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 , a designation that carries financial and other penalties. In November 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush signed
2079-520: The ICC's request since 2006. Since the Juba peace talks in 2006, the Lord's Resistance Army no longer operates in Uganda. Sources claim that they are in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), or South Sudan . In 2013, Kony was reported to be in poor health, and Michel Djotodia , president of the CAR, claimed he was negotiating with Kony to surrender. By April 2017 , Kony
2156-500: The LRA and the government. The LRA asked for a general amnesty for their combatants and stated that they would not surrender but were willing to "return home." However, the government's stance was hampered by disagreement over the credibility of the LRA negotiators and political infighting. In particular, the military had learned that Kony was negotiating with the Sudanese government for support while talking to Bigombe and felt that Kony
2233-421: The LRA raided the populace for supplies, which were carried away by villagers who were abducted for short periods of time. The fact that some NRA units were known for their brutal actions ensured that the LRA were given at least passive support by segments of the Acholi population. March 1991 saw the start of "Operation North", which combined efforts to destroy the LRA while cutting away its roots of support among
2310-520: The LRA to surrender. This ultimatum ended the Bigombe Initiative. Two weeks after Museveni delivered his ultimatum of 6 February 1994, it was reported that LRA fighters had crossed the northern border and established bases in southern Sudan with the approval of the Khartoum government. Sudanese aid was a response to Ugandan support for the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) fighting in
2387-530: The Lord's Resistance Army had bought new weapons and was recruiting new soldiers, adding 1,000 recruits to the 600 soldiers it already had. At about the same time, Uganda, South Sudan, and Congo-Kinshasa agreed to a plan to crush the movement together; the South Sudanese Government claimed that the Lord's Resistance Army killed 14 of their soldiers in a raid on June 7 2008, in Nabanga, DR Congo. The LRA
Kony - Misplaced Pages Continue
2464-427: The Museveni's NRA, now known as the Uganda People's Defence Force , led to Kony's creation of the LRA. The insurgencies gave rise to concentration camps in northern Uganda where over 2 million people were confined. The government burned people's properties using helicopter gunships, killing many. There were forced displacements in the northern region. International campaigns called for all camps to be dismantled and for
2541-502: The U.S. announced it would deploy at least four CV-22 Ospreys and refueling planes, and 150 Air Force special forces personnel to assist in the capture of Kony. On 23 March 2012, the African Union announced its intentions to "send 5,000 soldiers to join the hunt for rebel leader Joseph Kony" and to "neutralize" him while isolating the scattered LRA groups responsible for 2,600 civilian killings since 2008. This international task force
2618-455: The U.S. forces are combat-equipped, they will only be providing information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defense". On 3 April 2013, the Obama administration offered rewards of up to US$ 5 million for information leading to the arrest, transfer, or conviction of Kony, Ongwen, and Odhiambo. On 24 March 2014,
2695-538: The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator . Journeyman Pictures released a 2006 interview with Kony in which he proclaims: "I am a freedom fighter, not a terrorist." He told Reuters : "We don't have any children. We only have combatants." Prosecutors at the ICC applied for an in absentia hearing to confirm the charges against Kony in November 2022, and in 2024
2772-508: The UN special representative on children and conflict, that the "actual numbers of abductions are much higher, these are just the ones we are aware of". The report also stated that the LRA is currently made up of between 300 and 500 fighters, with around half of them being children. The LRA was reported to be in the East CAR town of Djema in 2012 but forces pursuing the LRA withdrew in April 2013 after
2849-488: The Ugandan Government for the ICC to suspend war crimes indictments against leaders of the LRA was condemned by international human rights groups but largely supported by leaders and civilians within northern Uganda. By mid-2007, thousands of IDPs had moved into the decongestion camps. However, the populace remained cautious about the prospect of a peace deal, with many refusing to return to their ancestral homes before
2926-630: The Ugandan army invaded the DRC in search for the LRA in Operation Lightning Thunder. In November 2013, Kony was reported to be in poor health in the eastern CAR town of Nzoka. Looking back at the LRA's campaign of violence, The Guardian stated in 2015 that Kony's forces had been responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 and the abduction of at least 60,000 children. Various atrocities committed include raping young girls and abducting them for use as sex slaves . The actual number of LRA militia members has varied significantly over
3003-550: The United Nations and logistic facilitation from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). On 20 August 2007, Uganda declared that it was seeking legal advice on setting up a war crimes court. In November 2007, an LRA delegation led by Martin Ojul journeyed to Kampala to restate its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Ojul later led the delegation on
3080-653: The Western Equatoria region of South Sudan. Three people were killed and one wounded, aside from looting the rebels also set fire to several houses. On 4 December 2013, 13 LRA militants including senior commander Samuel Kangu were killed in the aftermath of a UPDF ambush in CAR. The rebels were reportedly tracked with the aid of US-provided intelligence. On 11 December 2013, 19 LRA guerrillas surrendered to African Union troops in Zembio , CAR. According to UN estimates, at least 65 LRA attacks took place in CAR and DRC during
3157-471: The abduction of children to become child soldiers and sex slaves . Approximately 66,000 children became soldiers, and 2 million people were displaced internally from 1986 to 2009 by his forces. Kony was indicted in 2005 for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague , but he has evaded capture. He has been subject to an Interpol Red Notice at
Kony - Misplaced Pages Continue
3234-474: The abduction of civilians, the use of child soldiers , and a number of massacres . By 2004, the LRA had abducted more than 20,000 children, caused the displacement of 1.5 million civilians, and killed an estimation of 100,000 civilians. The National Resistance Army (NRA), commanded by Yoweri Museveni , overthrew President Tito Okello in January 1986. In retaliation for the Ugandan Army 's actions in
3311-480: The affirmative) in the House of Representatives. In November 2010, Obama delivered a strategy document to Congress asking for more funding to disarm Kony and the LRA. In October 2011, Obama authorized the deployment of approximately 100 combat-equipped U.S. troops to central Africa. Their goal is to help regional forces remove Kony and senior LRA leaders from the battlefield. In a letter to Congress, Obama wrote: "Although
3388-444: The area of Dungu , DRC. Two people were wounded in the aftermath of an attack on Faradje, the village of Mangasaba was looted, and a merchant from Kiliwa was also robbed by the guerrillas. On 9 January 2015, LRA's second in command Dominic Ongwen surrendered to US troops stationed in CAR. He claimed to have defected from the Ugandan rebellion. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki commented saying, " his defection would be
3465-517: The assembly areas by mid-September. Talks continued to be hindered by demands and counter-demands. Meanwhile, the government began a process of creating "satellite camps" to decongest the main IDP camps. In a broader context, the government of Southern Sudan viewed the talks as a means of ridding itself of a foreign army that was complicating its delicate relationship with the Khartoum government. The request by
3542-560: The best chance for a negotiated settlement since the peace initiative of Betty Bigombe in 1994. These talks were agreed to after Joseph Kony released a video in May in which he denied committing atrocities and seemed to call for an end to hostilities, in response to an announcement by Museveni that he would guarantee the safety of Kony if peace was agreed to by July. In late June 2006, the Government of Southern Sudan formally invited Uganda to attend peace talks, and on 14 July 2006, talks began in Juba. On 4 August 2006, Vincent Otti declared
3619-430: The border with the DRC, and is commanded by a Ugandan officer; while, a Congolese officer has oversight of intelligence operations. On 12 May 2012, Ugandan soldiers with the African Union brigade captured a senior LRA leader in the Central African Republic (CAR), Caesar Achellam, a veteran rebel commander with the rank of Major General. Because he was a leading military strategist for the LRA, Achellam's arrest signified
3696-473: The days following its release. Several weeks after its release, a resolution condemning Kony and supporting US assistance fighting the LRA was introduced in the US Senate, passing several months later. Kony 2012 has been criticized for simplifying the history of the LRA conflict, and for failing to note that Kony was already pushed out of Uganda six years before the film was made. Dominic Ongwen served as
3773-574: The death of ten times as many people as the LRA. Meanwhile, in 1997 the Sudanese government of the National Islamic Front began to recede from its previous hardline stance. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US, the relationship between Sudan and Uganda abruptly changed. Cross-border tensions eased as support to proxy forces fell. Some of the hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by
3850-429: The deployment of 100 US troops to aid other anti-LRA forces in subduing LRA leader Joseph Kony, citing the aforementioned act in a letter to the heads of both houses of Congress . On 23 March 2012, the African Union announced its intentions to send an international brigade of 5,000 military troops "from Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Congo, countries where Kony's reign of terror has been felt over
3927-495: The directive to the United States Africa Command to provide financial and logistical assistance to the Ugandan government during the unsuccessful 2008–2009 Garamba offensive , code-named Operation Lightning Thunder . No U.S. troops were directly involved. 17 U.S. advisers and analysts provided intelligence, equipment, and fuel to Ugandan military counterparts. The offensive pushed Kony from his jungle camp, but he
SECTION 50
#17328583450644004-541: The first quarter of 2014 during which 93 people were reportedly abducted and two killed. On 7 May 2014, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon stated that senior LRA commanders were stationed in South Sudan's border areas with Sudan and the Central African Republic. On 20 May 2014, delegates from Uganda, DRC, South Sudan and CAR held a three-day conference in South Sudan regarding the LRA insurgency. On 13 August 2014, LRA insurgents launched attacks on villages in
4081-528: The five LRA commanders charged by the ICC in 2004, only Kony remained at large at that time. With only a few hundred fighters remaining loyal to him, it was mistakenly thought that he would be unable to evade capture much longer. In February 2021, Ongwen was convicted by the International Criminal Court of 61 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes. In April 2017, Ugandan and US military forces ended their hunt for Kony and his group, with
4158-462: The government of the CAR was overthrown by the Séléka Coalition rebels . In November 2013, Kony was reported to be in poor health in the East CAR town of Nzoka and Michel Djotodia , president of the CAR, claimed he was negotiating with Kony to surrender. US officials doubted that Kony genuinely wanted to surrender. In early November 2013, suspected LRA militants attacked five villages in
4235-399: The hearing was scheduled for 15 October. Kony will be represented by a court-appointed lawyer if he has not been captured when the hearing, the first of its kind to take place at the ICC, takes place. Kony's followers, as well as some detractors, believe he is possessed by spirits . Kony tells his child soldiers that a cross on their chest drawn in oil will protect them from bullets. He is
4312-408: The initial success of the Holy Spirit Movement of Alice Auma . Former Uganda People's Democratic Army commander Odong Latek convinced Kony to adopt conventional guerrilla warfare tactics, primarily surprise attacks on civilian targets, such as villages. The LRA also occasionally carried out large-scale attacks to underline the inability of the government to protect the populace. Until 1991,
4389-486: The insurgency. A series of local initiatives spearheaded by traditional and religious leaders as well as diplomatic initiatives during these years failed, especially since Kony's negotiating position remained uncertain, but the conflict gained unprecedented international coverage. During a November 2003 field visit to Uganda, United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland stated, "I cannot find any other part of
4466-528: The people to return to their former villages. In 2006, in the Juba peace talks with the LRA rebels, Museveni's government gave permission for local people to return to their villages. This marked the beginning of the rehabilitation of homes, roads, and so on. Kony has been implicated in abduction and recruitment of child soldiers . The LRA has had battle confrontations with the government's NRA or UPDF within Uganda and in South Sudan for ten years. In 2008
4543-622: The population through heavy-handed tactics. As part of Operation North, Acholi Betty Oyella Bigombe , the Minister charged with ending the insurgency, created the Arrow Boys , a local militia mostly armed with bows, arrows, and other traditional weapons as a form of local defense. As the LRA was armed with modern weaponry, the Arrow Boys were severely underpowered. The creation of the Arrow Groups angered Kony , who began to feel that he no longer had
4620-585: The rebels. The government's response was a scorched-earth policy ordering all Acholis to leave their homes in 48 hours and move to "protected villages" beginning in 1996, later called Internally Displaced People's Camps. This further deepened the antagonistic attitude that many Acholi had toward the government, especially as the population continued to be attacked by the LRA even within the "protected camps." The camps were crowded, unsanitary, miserable places to live and have been described as death camps. World Health Organization data indicated that these camps caused
4697-628: The return of Ugandan forces that were deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo upon the official end of the Second Congo War , created what the Ugandan government felt was an ideal situation in which to end a conflict that had become both an embarrassment and political liability. After several months of uncertainty, LRA forces began crossing back into Uganda and carrying out attacks on a scale of brutality not seen since 1995 to 1996, resulting in widespread displacement and suffering in regions, such as Soroti , that had never previously been touched by
SECTION 60
#17328583450644774-453: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Kony . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kony&oldid=1226318011 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Broadcast call sign disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
4851-556: The story of the Gadarene swine , and for killing [other] people because God did the same with Noah's flood and Sodom and Gomorrah ." Before the insurgency, he escaped in 1989 to Uganda. He was later captured by the Ugandan government. He was released in 1992 after the government no longer viewed him as a threat. The Ugandan military has attempted to kill Kony throughout the insurgency. In Uganda's attempt to track down Kony, former LRA combatants have been enlisted to search remote areas of
4928-451: The support of the population. In response, the LRA mutilated numerous Acholi whom they believed to be government supporters. While the government efforts were a failure, the LRA reaction caused many Acholi to finally turn against the insurgency. However, this was tempered by the deep-seated antagonism towards the occupying government forces. Following Operation North, Bigombe initiated the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of
5005-436: The target of increasingly pointed criticism from the international community for its failure to end the conflict. International aid agencies questioned the Ugandan government's reliance on military force and its commitment to a peaceful resolution. The army also admitted that it had recruited child soldiers who escaped the LRA into the military. In mid-September 2005, a band of LRA fighters, led by Vincent Otti , crossed into
5082-580: The triumph of a swimmer and her coach Kony 2012 , a film about Joseph Kony's war crimes Companies [ edit ] KONY (FM) , a country music radio station in Cedar City, Utah Kony, Inc. , a cloud-based mobile app provider in Austin, Texas Other [ edit ] Kony language, a dialect of the Sabaot language See also [ edit ] Coney (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
5159-457: The vicinity of Billi , DRC, killing 4 people and injuring 2. FARDC troops clashed with the militants before the latter retreated. On 23 August 2014, 13 LRA hostages escaped from captivity, six days later 12 more hostages followed suit. The escapees were abducted between 2004 and August 2014, and managed to reach Digba and Ango , DRC, respectively, following a FARDC offensive. Between 28 and 31 December 2014, LRA perpetrated three attacks in
5236-452: The war began to return home. The number of people displaced by the conflict declined to about half a million, and people began to talk openly about the day when the "protected camps" would be disbanded. In March 2002, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) launched a massive military offensive, named "Operation Iron Fist", against the LRA bases in southern Sudan, with agreement from the National Islamic Front . This agreement, coupled with
5313-404: The world that is having an emergency on the scale of Uganda, that is getting such little international attention." In December 2003, Ugandan President Museveni referred the LRA to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to determine if the LRA is guilty of international war crimes. From the middle of 2004 on, rebel activity dropped markedly under intense military pressure. The government was also
5390-540: The years ... to join the hunt for rebel leader Joseph Kony and to "neutralize" him. According to the statement, "the mission would commence on 24 March 2012 and the search would last until Kony was caught", after which the task force would be disbanded. The effort is Ugandan-led and backed by the US with the 100 advisers already there, who are offering advice, intelligence and training, along with equipment. The brigade established its headquarters in Yambio , South Sudan , close to
5467-464: The years, reaching as high as 3000 soldiers. By 2017, the organization's membership had shrunk significantly to an estimated 100 soldiers. In April 2017, both the US and Ugandan governments ended efforts to find Kony and fight the LRA, stating that the LRA no longer posed a significant security risk to Uganda. While initially purporting to fight against government oppression, the LRA allegedly turned against Kony's own supporters, supposedly to "purify"
5544-622: Was alleged to have killed at least 400 people in attacks on a number of villages in the DR Congo on and after Christmas Day, 2008. Throughout 2009, the LRA was blamed for several attacks in Southern Sudan, DR Congo, and Central African Republic . In March 2010, news emerged about a December 2009 massacre in DR Congo perpetrated by the LRA. In May 2010, US President Barack Obama signed the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act into law. In October 2011, Obama announced
5621-668: Was an altar boy until 1976. He married Selly and together they had a son, Ali Ssalongo Kony. In 1995, Kony rose to prominence in Acholiland after the Holy Spirit Movement of Alice Auma (also known as Lakwena and to whom Kony is believed to be related). The overthrow of Acholi President Tito Okello by Yoweri Museveni and his National Resistance Army (NRA) during the Ugandan Bush War (1981–1986) had culminated in mass looting of livestock, rape, burning of homes, genocide , and murder by Museveni's army. The acts committed by
5698-485: Was not captured. One hundred children were rescued. In May 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act , legislation aimed at stopping Kony and the LRA. The bill passed unanimously in the United States Senate on 11 March. On 12 May 2010, a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill was agreed to by voice vote (two-thirds being in
5775-402: Was said to include soldiers "from Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Congo, countries where Kony's reign of terror has been felt over the years." Before this announcement, the hunt for Kony had primarily been carried out by troops from Uganda. The soldiers began their search in South Sudan on 24 March 2012, and the search "will last until Kony is caught". Kony and the LRA received
5852-422: Was simply trying to buy time. At a second meeting on 10 January 1994, Kony asked for six months to regroup his troops. By early February the tone of the negotiations was growing increasingly acrimonious, and following a meeting on 2 February, the LRA broke off negotiations stating that they felt that the NRA was trying to entrap them. Four days later, President Yoweri Museveni announced a seven-day deadline for
5929-522: Was still at large, but his force was reported to have shrunk to approximately 100 soldiers, down from an estimated high of 3,000. Both the United States and Uganda ended the hunt for Kony and the LRA, believing that the LRA was no longer a significant security risk to Uganda. As of 2022, he is reported to be hiding in Darfur . Kony was born in c. 1961 in Odek , Northern Region , Uganda. He
#63936