Kourtni Robinson
Ms.Bennett
World Literature Honors
9 March 2015
20 Years of Terror
When one thinks of a pack mule, nine times out of ten they imagine a beast of burden trudging around with a bag saddled upon them as they wait to be guided to parts unknown. Its extremely uncommon that anyone’s first thought would be children soldiers. Nonetheless, this is the harsh reality for a majority of the youth in Africa.
The army formally known as the Holy Spirit Movement (HSM) was created by Alice Lakwena to overthrow the Ugandan government but was soon turned into a terrorist cult when taken over by Joseph Kony following Lakwena’s execution. (War Child Organization)
Joseph Kony, a self-proclaimed respectable Christian, believed that by leading a violent rebel group he would be able to carry out the work of the Lord. (US department of State) Kony wanted Uganda to be a Christian nation, so in 1987 he formed a resistance group called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA has been active since 1986, making it one of Africa’s oldest, most violent and persistent sectarian groups. Intrepidly, the LRA appointed a battle with the Ugandan government. If the LRA wins, Kony has promised that Uganda will become a theocracy, with laws based on the Biblical Ten Commandments. (NNDB)
When Lakwena died, so did the resolve of her followers. Civilians supporting the organization began to see what exactly was on Kony’s agenda and decided that they didn’t want to contribute to it, causing Kony to lose all of his regional support. Obstinate within his desire for dominance, Kony discovered a way to procure acolytes. He began to steal children to fill the ranks of his army rebellion. A 2006 study funded by UNICEF estimated that at least 66,000 children had been abducted by the LRA between 1986 and 2005. (US department of State)
Kony indoctrinates his child warriors by making them witness and perpertrate terrible acts upto and including the murder of friends and family members. In doing so, Kony ensured cooperation by removing any possible yearning of home or family for his captives; thereby convincing them that their is nothing for them to return home to. (Invisible Children Organization) The young girls he abducted were repeatedly raped as ‘wives’ of LRA officers, and the boys are forced to become brutal soldiers. (Invisible Children Organization) Those who were unable to sustain the heavy artillery were left to die or shot down in cold blood.
Civilians live in fear of losing their lives, children live in fear of never being rescued, and parents still live in fear of the continuation of the brutal rebellion. Although it may seem as though there is little to do for these children, organizations like Invisible Children have stepped in to insure the safety of African youth.
Works Cited:
"Joseph Kony." Joseph Kony. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
"The Lord's Resistance Army." (LRA). N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
"The Lord's Resistance Army." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
"The Rebel Group | Invisible Children." Invisible Children The Rebel Group Comments. Senator Lindsey Graham, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
I liked the context that you gave and the way you detailed the events that led up to the modern day. Your article reminds me of the child labor laws here in the US and the protecting of children. But what is the effect of child soldiers on the people of Africa?
ReplyDeleteYour article was very concise and clear. I also really liked how poetic the first sentence of your conclusion was. I remember a few years ago, everyone was freaking out about "Kony 2012" and I thought the LRA was a new thing. But your article really opened my eyes to how long this has been going on. Is it still going on? And what are the Invisible Children doing to stop it?
ReplyDeleteWow! Although complex, you were able to make this topic an easier read (besides the fact that it is hard to read this topic in the first place). In the middle of the article, I was a little puzzled as to how the children-pack mule idea connected with the religious movement, but you did a great job bringing that back in and tying it all together; by the end it all made sense how they were linked. I love your intro and conclusion because they sound great and draw you in. Thanks to Invisible Children, has this situation dimmed down since then?
ReplyDelete