Survivors of the reign of terror inflicted by Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in Uganda have expressed their support for the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to confirm charges against the group's leader, Joseph Kony. An arrest warrant was issued for him in 2005, yet he remains elusive, believed to be hiding in the Central African Republic (CAR).
On Thursday, the ICC officially charged Kony with 39 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, the use of child soldiers, sexual slavery, and forced pregnancy. Survivors, like Evelyn Amon, who was abducted by the LRA as a child, voiced their hopes that this announcement would reignite the pursuit of Kony's capture.
I cannot be happy like other women who went to school. I need justice for women who went through abduction like me, Amon stated. She spent 11 years with the LRA after being taken from her home at the age of 11, a traumatic experience that deprives many victims of their dignity and justice.
Kony's trial cannot proceed unless he is apprehended and present in court in The Hague. Many, including Patrick Ochieng, who was born in LRA captivity, are advocating for urgent measures to arrest him, concerned that survivors are aging without any form of restitution.
Over nearly two decades, Kony's LRA insurgency led to the deaths of over 100,000 individuals and the abduction of between 60,000 and 100,000 children. The group, notorious for its brutal tactics, has since been forced out of Uganda but remains a threat in neighboring countries.
In light of the ICC's recent actions, the hope among survivors is for a reckoning that transcends borders, putting an end to Kony's decades of impunity.
