Editing Joseph Kony

Kony proclaims himself the spokesperson of God and a spirit medium, primarily of the Holy Spirit, which the group believes can represent itself in many manifestations. Ideologically, the group is a syncretic mix of of mysticism, Acholi nationalism, and Christian fundamentalism, and claims to be establishing a theocratic state based on the Ten Commandments and local Acholi tradition.<ref name = cult></ref>

Kony was  born in July 24 of 1961, in Odek, a village east of Gulu in northern Uganda, to farmers Luizi Obol and Nora Oting. He is a member of the Acholi people.<ref name = Kony>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-17299084 Joseph Kony - child kidnapper, warlord, 'prophet'], ''BBC News''</ref> He was either the youngest or second youngest of six children in the family. Kony enjoyed a good relationship with his siblings, but was quick to retaliate in a dispute and when confronted would often resort to physical violence. His father was a lay catechist of the Catholic Church, and his mother was an Anglican. His older sister, Gabriela Lakot, still lives in Odek.

 

 

 

The insurgencies also gave rise to [[Concentration Camp|concentration camps]] in northern Uganda where over 2 million people were confined. The government burned people's properties using helicopter gunships, killing many. There were forced displacements in the northern region. However, international campaigns called for all camps to be dismantled, and for the people to return to their former villages. In 2006 in the course of the Juba peace talks with the LRA rebels, Museveni's government gave permission for the local people to return to their villages. This marked the beginning of rehabilitation of homes, roads, and so on.

 

Kony's followers, as well as some detractors, believe him to have been possessed by spirits.<ref name = cult></ref> Kony tells his child soldiers that a cross on their chest drawn in oil will protect them from bullets. He is a proponent of polygamy, and is thought to have had 60 wives, and to have fathered 42 children.<ref name = Kony></ref> Kony insists that he and the LRA are fighting for the Ten Commandments, and defended his actions in an interview, saying, "Is it bad? It is not against human rights. And that commandment was not given by Joseph. It was not given by LRA. No, those commandments were given by God."

 

Looking back at the LRA's campaign of violence, ''The Guardian'' stated in 2015 that Kony's forces had been responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 and the abduction of at least 60,000 children. Various atrocities committed include raping young girls and abducting them for use as sex slaves.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2017/9/25/can-ugandans-overcome-trauma-of-lras-violent-crimes Can Ugandans overcome trauma of LRA’s violent crimes?], ''Al Jazeera''</ref><ref>[https://www.irishtimes.com/news/girls-used-as-sexual-slaves-says-amnesty-1.107725 Girls used as sexual slaves, says Amnesty], ''The Irish Times''</ref>

 

Ugandan political leader Betty Bigombe recalled that Kony and his followers used oil to ward off bullets and evil spirits. Kony believes himself to be a spirit medium. In 2008, responding to a request by Ugandan President [[Yoweri Museveni]] to engage in peace talks via telephone, he said, "I will communicate with Museveni through the holy spirits and not through the telephone."<ref name = Kony></ref>

 

During peace talks in 1994, Kony was preceded by men in robes sprinkling holy water. According to Francis Ongom, a former LRA officer who defected, Kony "has found Bible justifications for killing witches, for killing [those who farm or eat] pigs because of the story of the Gadarene swine, and for killing [other] people because God did the same with Noah's flood and Sodom and Gomorrah."

 

In 2005, Kony was indicted for multiple [[war crimes]] and [[crimes against humanity]] by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands<ref>[https://www.icc-cpi.int/uganda/kony ''Kony et al. Case''], International Criminal Court</ref>, but has evaded capture, and as of 2023 is still at large. Interpol have also issued an international red notice for Kony, which has been in effect since 2006.<ref>[https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2006/INTERPOL-issues-first-Red-Notices-on-behalf-of-International-Criminal-Court INTERPOL issues first Red Notices on behalf of International Criminal Court], INTERPOL</ref> The last confirmed sighting of Kony was in April 2008 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 

Kony himself is believed to be hiding somewhere in the Central African Republic or South Sudan.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/06/joseph-kony-hiding-sudan-border-report-lra Joseph Kony is hiding out on Sudan border, report claims], ''The Guardian''</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/viral-vanish-what-happened-to-joseph-kony Where is Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony?], ''Fox News''</ref> With their leader in hiding, the LRA's numbers have decreased to just around 100 fighters and no longer have any presence in Uganda. For this reason, Kony and his organization are longer considered a significant threat, and thus both the United States and Uganda have ended their search for him.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/world/africa/uganda-joseph-kony-lra.html Uganda Ends Its Hunt for Joseph Kony Empty-Handed], ''The New York Times''</ref>

 

[[Category:Military]]