7. The War in Northern Uganda Examined

I am going to use the city of Gulu to represent the entire northern region of Uganda. Gulu was the epicenter for the terror that was inflicted upon the people of Uganda by Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army beginning in 1987 and continuing until 2007, though there is still a threat today as Kony and the LRA have only moved one country over to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Uganda

Kony began his reign of terror, taking over for Alice Lakwena when her efforts were thwarted during an attack in southern Uganda, claiming he was possessed by the Spirit of God and instructed to overthrow the government with the help of the Acholi people (the main inhabitants of Gulu).

To accomplish this governmental overhaul, Kony recruited people who believed in him to build up his army. Without much luck in recruiting people to "the cause," Kony and his comrades took to kidnapping children and pillaging towns and villages. The LRA is most infamously known for ravaging northern Uganda and creating such an extreme fear in the people, that they were forced into Internally Displaced Peoples camps.

These camps were eventually created by the government in an effort to protect the people. They erected temporary hut dwellings for multiple families to live in. At one time there were an estimated 2 million people living in the displacement camps. There were a few government sanctioned soldiers guarding the camps, but, when night fell, it didn't really matter. Soldiers abandoned their posts and the camps were left vulnerable.

Internally Displaced Peoples Camp

Kony's army was very strategic about their recruitment. Adults were hard to control, so they were killed or mercilessly beaten. Children could be kidnapped with great ease and brainwashed into compliance. Children were also in abundance and easily replaceable. Machetes were a popular tool among soldiers and were easily wielded by small children.

The Lord's Resistance Army's tactic was to ambush villages or camps, pillage homes, kill or severely maim adults and kidnap the young children for soldiers or wives. Girls were taken to "please" the high ranking officers.

Temporary camp dwellings people were forced to live in

To avoid being abducted, kids became "night commuters." As the sun went down, they would walk from their small villages or displacement camps into the big cities to sleep. Cities were safer because there was a more consistent military presence and the rebel army was less incline to attack. The night commuters would sleep under store awnings or in alley ways. When morning came, the children would commute back to their homes, hopeful to find their parents safe.

The founders of the organization Invisible Children created an informational video about the terror that struck the area and it bled into the hearts of thousands of Americans. The video focused on the children night commuters that were effected by the war.

Kidnap victim. He escaped and is now receiving medical care and therapy.

This went on for years. Children weren't able to go to school because of the need to commute and the poor conditions in the camps. Millions lived in fear for their lives with each passing day. The Ugandan government did what they could to keep the people safe, but even that effort was not enough to destroy Kony and his army.

I have heard horror stories about the intimidation that the army utilized to manipulate these innocent children into doing their bidding. Stories of children being forced to kill their own parents to show loyalty or forced to kill or maim another kid to save their own life are common. Kony is featured on Forbes' list of The World's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives. He is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes among other charges.

While Kony and the rebel army have fled Uganda, they are still rampant in parts of Sudan and especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo. How many more people need to suffer and die before we, as brothers and sisters of these victims, realize the change that needs to be made?