The Lord's Resistance Army is a rebel group operating primarily in northern Uganda. Led by Joseph Kony, a self-proclaimed spokesman for God, the LRA see themselves as a Christian guerrilla army and seek to overthrow Uganda's government and replace it with a Christian theocracy.
The group has been active since 1987 and has been accused of committing a wide range of human rights violations ranging from torture and mutilation, to kidnapping of civilians and the use of child soldiers. Organizations, such as Invisible Children, have protested and have attempted to raise awareness of the LRA's crimes.
December 2008 Massacres
According to The United Nations, the army was responsible for several massacres in villages of Congo in December 2008 where about 200 people were killed. The attacks included a massacre inside a church in the village of Doruma, where it is estimated that between 40 to 150 people were killed, and the killings of about 40 people in the Faradje district and 60 in the village of Gurba.Bloomberg: Lord's Resistance Army Kills 189 in Congo Attack... (December 29, 2008) Fox News: More Than 100 Hacked to Death in Congo Church Massacre (December 29, 2008)
Invisible Children
On April 25, 2009, thousands of people in 100 cities worldwide held protests with the support of Invisible Children, participating in the fight against the LRA's child abductions in Uganda. A second major protest was scheduled for the weekend of June 25-27 in Washington D.C.
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Fast Facts
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Founded in 1987
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Led by Joseph Kony
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Kony is a self-proclaimed messenger from God
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Consider themselves a Christian guerrilla army
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In conflict with the government of Uganda
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Want to establish a Christian theocracy
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Criticized for a wide range of human rights abuses
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Driven out from Uganda and now operates from The Democratic Republic of the Congo
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The International Criminal Court has issued several warrants for members of the army, including for leader Joseph Kony
