Skeptikere siger, at den ekstremt voldelige militsstyrke ikke er sådan at få bugt med og fortsat opererer i en stribe afrikanske lande, hvor den spreder død og ødelæggelse.
JOHANNESBURG, 24 February 2012 (IRIN): The US believes its military intervention in central Africa in pursuit of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA – Herrens Modstandshær) is having the desired effect, reducing attacks and improving civilian protection – although analysts have reservations.
In 2011, the US deployed about 100 troops to the DR Congo (former Zaire), Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan and Uganda to assist the region’s military forces in killing or capturing Kony and his senior command, following President Barack Obama Administration’s announcement in November 2010 to deal decisively with the armed group.
Karl Wycoff, the US deputy assistant secretary for African affairs, on 22 February, told IRIN:
“Over recent months the military of Uganda, CAR, DR Congo and South Sudan have continued to carry out operations against the LRA. We are supporting them in these efforts. We are providing logistical support to help the Ugandan military sustain its forward operations against the LRA”.
“We are funding, for example, some airlift, fuel and other transport support for their troops. We also trained and equipped a Congolese battalion that is now operating in LRA-affected areas of the DR Congo and we are working with the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO [UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo].”
About 40 million US dollar has been provided by the US so far in support of the Ugandan military effort.
MONUSCO and Congolese forces were involved in recent operations to prevent any repeats of the LRA’s 2008 and 2009 Christmas massacres, he said, and the US was also providing support to CAR and South Sudan military forces.
“With our support, these four military forces continue to make progress in reducing the LRA numbers and keeping them from regrouping”, Wycloff said, adding:
“We believe it is critical the militaries in the region continue to work together to keep the pressure on the LRA and protect their own citizens. As we have seen in the past, the LRA will exploit any reduction in military or diplomatic pressure to regroup and rebuild their forces”.
Still dancing to Kony’s tune
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