In Focus: The LRA

TDI affiliate Scarlett has a great post up about the LRA over in Uganda. The LRA stands for the Lord's Resistance Army. The group is headed by a Joseph Kony, who claims he is fighting for a government founded on the biblical Ten Commandments. They have kidnapped more than 20,000 children, who are forced to serve as fighters, porters, or sex slaves. Some young girls are traded by the LRA for arms.

On July 25, 2002, forty-eight people were hacked to death in Kitgum, Uganda. Reports say that elderly people were killed with machetes and spears, and babies were flung against trees. In 2003, LRA rebels announced a cease-fire, and said that they wanted to hold talks with the government. But by June of that year, Joseph Kony told his fighters to destroy Roman Catholic missions, and to kill priests and missionaries.

In January 2004, Uganda announced that they had killed around 920 LRA rebels in 2003. 791 rebels were either captured or surrendered during the same period. Uganda claims to have rescued 7,299 people abducted by the rebels. Many of the abducted children have been reported to have escaped, but there is no way to track the children, and we don't know where they have wound up.

In 2002, there were an estimated 7,000 LRA rebels. Now, it seems that the government's war against the rebels is starting to pay off: There are now an estimated 500-600 LRA rebels. Also, due to the dwindling numbers and the long-lasting war against them, the number of horrific atrocities the LRA is committing is going down significantly, according to published reports.

To get a further understanding, read what Scarlett posted over at her site. That is only a taste of how terrible this organization is. And for that, we can be thankful that their days seem to be numbered.