{"id":53185,"date":"2025-02-28T15:58:38","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T15:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/kony-on-the-run-as-russia-s-wagner-forces-intensify-hunt-for-lra-fighters\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T16:14:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T16:14:35","slug":"kony-on-the-run-as-russia-s-wagner-forces-intensify-hunt-for-lra-fighters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/kony-on-the-run-as-russia-s-wagner-forces-intensify-hunt-for-lra-fighters\/","title":{"rendered":"Kony on the run as Russia\u2019s Wagner forces intensify hunt for LRA fighters"},"content":{"rendered":"

The once-feared Lord\u2019s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony is rapidly losing its grip. Sources close to the situation indicate that Kony\u2019s operations, once a terrifying force in central Africa, are now a shadow of their former self.<\/p>\n

The Wagner Group, known for its mercenary work, has been arresting and forcing the LRA combatants to surrender, especially in the conflict-ridden areas of Darfur, Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR).]
\nThe group has created a wall of security, making it increasingly difficult for Kony\u2019s forces to operate freely.<\/p>\n

According to New vision, Marianne Moor, head of Pax Netherlands, a non-governmental organization involved in helping former rebels reintegrate revealed that the group surrounding Kony has dissolved. \u201cThe only remaining part of the LRA is the one directly protecting Kony himself\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The LRA, which once sought to establish a theocratic government based on Kony\u2019s interpretation of the Ten Commandments, has long been notorious for abducting children and forcing them into brutal labor and warfare.<\/p>\n

At its peak, the group displaced over 1.8 million people and claimed the lives of more than 100,000 in northern Uganda.<\/p>\n

But now, with the Wagner Group closing in and Sudan\u2019s civil war making the region unstable, Kony\u2019s stronghold is crumbling. Many of his fighters, exhausted by years of war, have been abandoning the cause.<\/p>\n

According to Moor, the pressure is becoming too much for some of the LRA members, and more defections are expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that wherever the group enters, there is now significant military presence. The situation has become more difficult for Kony, and many of his fighters have surrendered to authorities,\u201d said Moor.<\/p>\n

One of the main reasons for these defections is the increasing hardships of life in the bush. Many of the fighters, including those who were once forcibly recruited, are seeing the grim reality of their situation.<\/p>\n

Moor explained that some of these rebels, especially those from Congo and CAR, have been offered amnesty by the Ugandan government. Once they hear stories of earlier defectors being treated with respect and reintegrated, many decide to leave the group.<\/p>\n

Kony\u2019s diminishing forces now seem to pose little threat to Uganda. \u201cHis group is no longer the powerful force it once was. Unless Kony recruits new fighters, his group has lost its edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NGO has already repatriated 156 combatants back to Uganda, and more are expected to follow. These former fighters are being given a chance to rebuild their lives through programs that include medical and mental care, as well as traditional ceremonies to reintegrate them into their communities.<\/p>\n

The collapse of the LRA signals the end of a brutal era for many across central Africa, but the peace process remains fragile. Governments will need to continue offering opportunities for reintegration to ensure that the cycle of violence does not return.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recent defections and mounting pressure from a Russian paramilitary group, the Wagner group, have severely weakened Kony\u2019s forces, with allegedly, only a small number of his fighters remaining in hiding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":2000082626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-53185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000082626,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kony.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kony.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kony.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kony.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kony.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kony.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000082626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53185"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=53185"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=53185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}