Lord's Resistance Army
What is the Lord's Resistance Army?
The Lord's Resistance Army was originally called the Holy Spirit movement led by Alice Lakwena who stated that the Holy Spirit had told her to overthrow the Ugandan government. After a fight against the people of the Holy Spirit, which was won by the government, Alice Lakwena was exiled from Uganda.
Joseph Kony, a man claiming to be Lakwena's cousin, took control of the movement in 1986, attempting to take control of the government and lead based on the Ten Commandments. When the movement rapidly lost support, Kony began abducting and forcing children to fight in his army. His army, now called the Lord's Resistance Army, began terrorizing and murdering small villages in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Lord's Resistance Army was originally called the Holy Spirit movement led by Alice Lakwena who stated that the Holy Spirit had told her to overthrow the Ugandan government. After a fight against the people of the Holy Spirit, which was won by the government, Alice Lakwena was exiled from Uganda.
Joseph Kony, a man claiming to be Lakwena's cousin, took control of the movement in 1986, attempting to take control of the government and lead based on the Ten Commandments. When the movement rapidly lost support, Kony began abducting and forcing children to fight in his army. His army, now called the Lord's Resistance Army, began terrorizing and murdering small villages in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
How are so many children abducted?
The Lord's Resistance Army uses fear and force to abduct children across Central East Africa. The LRA targets children because they are easily manipulated and will conform to situations that are given to them. They attack remote villages, murdering many children's families, leaving them with no home. The army would then replace their family, and provided a feeling of belonging when the children felt alone. "That is how the LRA works. They destroy everything valuable to you so you have no option. I was by myself. I felt alone. That is powerful brainwashing for any child" (Chiaramonte 1). During their attacks, they kill elderly people, and cut off human's ears, lips, and noses to alert and frighten others. UNICEF estimated that between 186 and 2005, about 66,000 children have been abducted by the LRA.
What happens to the children after they are abducted?
After the African children are taken from their homes, they are brainwashed by propaganda and forced into becoming soldiers, sex slaves, and cooks. If a captive attempts to escape, they are tortured or killed. "His fighters were known for kidnapping thousands of children and brainwashing them into becoming killers themselves, who commit ed gruesome acts like sawing off lips"(Kulish 2).
The Lord's Resistance Army uses fear and force to abduct children across Central East Africa. The LRA targets children because they are easily manipulated and will conform to situations that are given to them. They attack remote villages, murdering many children's families, leaving them with no home. The army would then replace their family, and provided a feeling of belonging when the children felt alone. "That is how the LRA works. They destroy everything valuable to you so you have no option. I was by myself. I felt alone. That is powerful brainwashing for any child" (Chiaramonte 1). During their attacks, they kill elderly people, and cut off human's ears, lips, and noses to alert and frighten others. UNICEF estimated that between 186 and 2005, about 66,000 children have been abducted by the LRA.
What happens to the children after they are abducted?
After the African children are taken from their homes, they are brainwashed by propaganda and forced into becoming soldiers, sex slaves, and cooks. If a captive attempts to escape, they are tortured or killed. "His fighters were known for kidnapping thousands of children and brainwashing them into becoming killers themselves, who commit ed gruesome acts like sawing off lips"(Kulish 2).