Joseph Kony

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Joseph Kony

Joseph Kony
Born ca. 1962
Odek, Uganda
Nationality Ugandan
Title Leader of the Lord's Resistance Army

Joseph Kony (born ca. 1962) is the head of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a guerrilla group that is engaged in a violent campaign to establish a theocratic government in Uganda, which claims to be based on the Christian Bible and the Ten Commandments. The LRA, which earned a terrifying reputation for its brutality against the people of northern Uganda, has abducted an estimated 20,000 children since its rebellion began in 1987.[1]

Norah Anek Oting gave birth to Kony in Odek, a village east of Gulu in northern Uganda.[2]A high-school dropout, Kony first came to prominence in January 1987, at age 26. His group was one of many premillennialist groups that sprang up in Acholiland in the wake of the wildly popular Holy Spirit Movement of Alice Auma (aka Lakwena). However, the conflict in the north began in the resentment among the Acholi at their relative loss of influence after the overthrow of Acholi President Tito Okello by Yoweri Museveni and his National Resistance Army (NRA) in "the war in the bush" ending in 1986.

Originally Kony's group was named the United Holy Salvation Army (UHSA) and was not perceived as a threat by the NRA. By 1988, with the accord between NRA and the Uganda People's Democratic Army and addition of its remnant troops as well as forced recruitment of children the United Holy Salvation Army was becoming a formidable resistance army. With these remnants of UPDA was the commander Odong Latek who convinced Kony to use standard military tactics as opposed to its previous attempts which involved attacking in cross-shaped formations and the use of holy water. The new tactics proved successful and the UHSA delivered several small but stinging defeats against the NRA. After these victories the NRA responded by significantly weakening the Kony's group with political actions and a military campaign named Operation North.

By 1992, Kony had renamed the group United Democratic Christian Army and it was at this time that they kidnapped 44 girls from the Sacred Heart Secondary and St. Mary's girls schools. [3] Operation North was devastating to what would become the Lord's Resistance Army and with their number reduced from thousands to hundreds still engaged in brutal retaliatory attacks on civilians and NRA collaborators.

Joseph Kony (left) shakes hands with Riek Machar (center), Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, in a May 2006 meeting at Yambio to discuss LRA activity in the region. Vincent Otti stands on the right of Mr. Machar.
Joseph Kony (left) shakes hands with Riek Machar (center), Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, in a May 2006 meeting at Yambio to discuss LRA activity in the region. Vincent Otti stands on the right of Mr. Machar.

The Bigombe talks in 1993 led to more insight into Joseph Kony. Betty Bigombe remembered the first time she met Kony that his followers used oil to ward-off bullets and evil spirits[4]. Also in a letter regarding future talks, Kony stated that he must consult the Holy Spirit. When the talks did occur they insisted on participation of religious leaders and opened the proceedings with prayers led by LRA's Director of Religious Affairs Jenaro Bongomi. Finally in the 1994 peace talks Kony appeared preceded by men in robes sprinkling holy water[5].

In 1994 violence escalated when Kony started to obtain support from the Sudanese Government of Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir the same responsible for the Darfur crisis today.

Many international attempts at peace and an end to the abduction of children by Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army occurred between 1996 and 2001. All of them failed to end the abductions, rape, child soildiers, and civilian cassualties including attacks on refugee camps. After the September 11th attacks the United States declared the Lord's Resistance Army a terrorist group and Joseph Kony a terrorist.

Kony insists that he and the Lord's Resistance Army are fighting for the Ten Commandments. “Yes, we are fighting for Ten Commandments,” “Is it bad? It is not against human rights. And that commandment was not given by Joseph. It was not given by LRA. No, that commandment was given by God.” [6]

There seems to be some confusion about the number of Joseph Kony's wives. The number ranges from 27 to 50 mostly abducted girls. By 2007, an estimated amount of the number of abductees is up to 60,000.

[edit] Indictment

Lord's Resistance Army
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On October 6, 2005 it was announced by the International Criminal Court (ICC) 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 Joseph Kony, his deputy Vincent Otti, and LRA commanders Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odiambo and Dominic Ongwen. According to spokesmen for the military, the Ugandan army killed Lukwiya on August 12, 2006. [7]

A week later, on October 13, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo released details on Kony's indictment. There are 33 charges, 12 counts are crimes against humanity, which include murder, enslavement, sexual enslavement and rape. There are another 21 counts of war crimes which include murder, cruel treatment of civilians, intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population, pillaging, inducing rape, and forced enlisting of children into the rebel ranks. Ocampo said that "Kony was abducting girls to offer them as rewards to his commanders." [8]

The Ugandan military has attempted to kill Kony for most of the insurgency.

On July 31, 2006 Kony met with several cultural, political, and religious leaders from northern Uganda at his hideout in the Congolese forests to discuss the war. The following day, August 1, he crossed the border into Sudan to speak with Southern Sudan Vice President Riek Machar. Kony later told reporters that he would not be willing to stand trial at the ICC because he had not done anything wrong.

On November 12, 2006 Kony met Jan Egeland, the United Nations Undersecretary-General for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief. Kony told Reuters: "We don't have any children. We only have combatants." [9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Buteera, Richard. The Reach Of Terrorist Financing And Combating It- The Links Between Terrorism And Ordinary Crime. International Society of Prosecutors. Washington, D.C.. 12 Aug 2003.[1]
  2. ^ "Uganda rebel's mum in peace move." BBC News. 24 July 2006. 15 Feb 2007 [2]
  3. ^ CRISES IN SUDAN AND NORTHERN UGANDA HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION JULY 29, 1998[3]
  4. ^ The Woman Behind Uganda's Peace Hopes - Betty Bigombe Put Life on Hold to Intercede in Northern war[4]
  5. ^ BBC - Profile: Ugandan rebel Joseph Kony[5]
  6. ^ I will use the Ten Commandments to liberate Uganda[6]
  7. ^ "Ugandan army 'kills senior rebel'." BBC News. 13 Aug 2006. 15 Feb 2007. [7]
  8. ^ International Criminal Court. Warrant of Arrest unsealed against five LRA Commanders. The Hague: 2005. [8]
  9. ^ Kony told Reuters: "We don't have any children. We only have combatants."[9]

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Kony, Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Leader of the Lord's Resistance Army
DATE OF BIRTH 1962
PLACE OF BIRTH Odek, Uganda
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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International Criminal Court (ICC)
Main topics
Crimes
Indicted persons
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