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(Image source: Invisible Children)
BY LORA VLAEVA
The U.S administration announced Wednesday a $5 million reward for information leading
to the capture of warlord Joseph Kony and his top leaders.
Kony, the chief of the Lord's Resistance Army, a guerrilla group in Uganda, is wanted by
the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. He
has been subject to a manhunt for years. (Via BBC)
Sky News reports:
“Kony and his guerrillas are accused of terrorising northern Uganda for 20 years — abducting
children to use as fighters and sex slaves, and hacking off victims’ limbs as a method
of intimidation and revenge.”
The Ugandan Army announced earlier this week the on-going search for Kony — who is thought
to be hiding in the jungles of the Central African Republic — has been suspended after
rebel groups took control of the country last month.
The hunt has been a joint effort of African forces and the U.S. The Washington Post reports
last year President Obama sent 100 U.S. Special Operation troops to help four African countries
in their search for Kony.
But the U.S military said it will not withdraw its troops for now. And the State Department’s
acting top diplomat for African affairs said:
"The United States remains very committed to the counter-LRA program, along with our
partners. ... And we're going to use all facilities and all technology at our hands to try to
find and locate Kony and his group." (Via Foreign policy)
The $5 million bounty is part of that project.
It comes under the provision of the War Crimes Rewards Program, which took effect last January.
But the scope of the program was extended Wednesday — as it was initially restricted
only to wanted war criminals from Sierra Leone, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. (Via the
U.S Department of State)
State Ambassador-at-Large Stephen Rapp detailed the program during a press conference — it
now includes individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court.
“The designated individuals must be foreign nationals accused by any international tribunal,
including mixed or hybrid courts, for crimes against humanity” (Via the U.S Departement
of State)
Joseph Kony was made famous through the social media campaign “Kony 2012” by Invisible
Children, which aimed, quote: “not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and
set a precedent for international justice.”