KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan authorities announced on Wednesday that one of the wives and three children of the elusive Ugandan warlord, Joseph Kony, have been safely repatriated from the Central African Republic. Joseph Kony, the leader of the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), remains at large, with ongoing efforts to capture him.
Kony is sought by the International Criminal Court, facing serious charges including 36 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. These alleged offenses primarily took place between July 2002 and December 2005 in northern Uganda. A hearing set to confirm these charges is scheduled to occur on September 9 at The Hague. The U.S. government has incentivized his capture by offering a $5 million reward for information that may lead to Kony’s arrest.
According to Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, a Ugandan military spokesman, the return of Kony’s family members marks another wave of attempts to bring home those associated with him. They were airlifted back to Uganda, reflecting continuous efforts to dismantle the group’s influence and heal the communities affected by its terror.
The Lord’s Resistance Army, once a formidable rebel force, is notorious for its violent opposition to the Ugandan government and its brutal practices, including the abduction of children who were forced into becoming soldiers or sex slaves. Kony is believed to be hiding somewhere within the Central African Republic, indicated by Maj. Gen. Kulayigye.
Emerging in the 1980s, the LRA gained widespread notoriety due to its fierce cruelty against civilians, not only in Uganda but also across neighboring regions including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and present-day South Sudan. One prominent example of its international condemnation was the 2012 online campaign by the advocacy group Invisible Children, which highlighted the group’s heinous acts and the plight of its victims. Despite their past infamy, the LRA has noticeably weakened over the years. Many of its higher-ranked commanders have been killed, captured, or have surrendered, leading the group’s influence to diminish significantly.
