What's Going On in...Uganda?

In my opinion, the atrocities committed by the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda have been swept under the rug for far too long. People know almost nothing about an outright humanitarian emergency, and this is a huge concern. So here are the basics:

The LRA rebel movement can be traced back to Alice Lakwena, who believed the Holy Spirit ordered her to overthrow the Ugandan government for being unjust. Lakwena and her followers, known as the Holy Spirit Movement, gained momentum. Lakwena was exiled leaving no leader of the movement, Therefore, Joseph Kony, who claimed to be Lakwena’s cousin, took control and transformed Lakwena’s rebel army into the LRA.

As Kony became unpopular, he resorted to abducting children and forcing them to join his rebel army. It has been estimated that 90% or more of his army were abducted as young children. The horrific crimes that these children have been forced to commit by Kony and his men are stomach-churning. Furthermore, if these child soldiers are able to return to their families, they are traumatized and unable to function with other children.

Furthermore, the LRA has violated inherent rights of women during the Northern Ugandan conflict. Terrified women have been raped by members of the rebel army, and many have been forced into marriages with LRA members (often at a very young age).

Sadly, these atrocities have been largely ignored by the nations who have the ability to help the oppressed. However, there is an organization that is very near to my heart which attempts to completely eradicate the LRA's influence in Uganda and surrounding nations. This organization, Invisible Children works by raising awareness in the United States, making change happen within the US government, and using donations to aid the innocent civilians that have fallen prey to Joseph Kony and his army.

Sources: http://www2.invisiblechildren.com/history-of-the-war

http://www.child-soldier.org/children-in-conflict-child-soldiers-in-uganda

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