Ordered to Catch a Warlord, Ugandan Troops Are Accused of Hunting Girls
May 14, 2017
OBO, Central African Republic — The hunt is officially over.
“Joseph Kony is dead,” announced American-made leaflets dropped from a helicopter in the Central African Republic in recent weeks. “The war is finished.”
The claims that Mr. Kony, the notorious leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, has died are false, though. American officials say such disinformation is often intended to sow confusion and encourage defections from Mr. Kony’s group, which has committed atrocities in the region for decades.
But while Mr. Kony has evaded capture, the United States and the Ugandan military decided to end their search for him in late April, abandoning the international effort to bring him to justice.
Now, after eight years of being deployed in the Central African Republic, the Ugandans are leaving behind their own trail of abuse allegations — including rape, sexual slavery and the exploitation of young girls.
