Ugandan Government Reacts to #StopKony campaign

First some video from NTVUganda and then a statement from the government:

RESPONSE TO INTERNATIONAL DISCOURSE OF LRA ACTIVITY

***Friday 9th March2012***18:00 hour

***No Embargo***

RESPONSE TO INTERNATIONAL DISCOURSE OF LRA ACTIVITY

Uganda welcomes all campaigns which seek to raise awareness and highlight the plight of people affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). We are grateful forrenewed efforts which seek to contribute to the arrest of Joseph Kony and the elimination of the LRA from the Central African Region. The Government of Uganda however, would strongly urge that any awareness campaign fully takes into consideration the current realities of the situation.

The Lord’s Resistance Army has been a concern of this government since the late 80’s and have exacted a great toll on the Ugandan people and independent estimates approximate that 30,000 children were abducted and used as child soldiers over the course of the 25 year conflict.

Misinterpretations of media content may lead some people to believe that the LRA is currently active in Uganda. It must be clarified that at present the LRA is not active in any part of Uganda. Successfully expelled by the Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces in mid-2006, the LRA has retreated to dense terrain within bordering countries in the Central African area. They are a diminished and weakened group with numbers not exceeding 300. The threat posed by the LRA in our neighboring countries is considerably reduced and we are hopeful that it will be altogether eliminated with the help of US logistical support.

The people of Uganda, especially those in the north of the country are on a path of rebuilding, reconciliation and reintegration and are now vibrant and prospering communities. To aid this prosperity the Government implementeda 10 Year Peace, Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda (PRDP).

The Ugandan Government is encouraged by this outpouring of international support for its continuing campaign to eliminate the threat posed by the LRA to all countries and communities. We are hopeful that our neighboring countries can also become free of LRA activity and enjoy the peace and prosperity that northern Uganda has experienced in the last 6 years.

For God and My Country

Fred Opolot

Executive Director

2 thoughts on “Ugandan Government Reacts to #StopKony campaign”

  1. “for god and my country”. how reassuring.

    Just 5 months ago, this was the story being carried across Uganda on tv, radio and in the newspapers, “The Defense Minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga has confirmed reports of a possible attack by the Allied Democratic Forces and the LRA based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

    http://www.256news.com/1948/defense-minister-confirms-possible-attack-by-adf/

    oh and although he’s currently in “hiding” in the jungles of countries outside uganda, he’s “just” a threat to “remote communities” in other countries where “relatively few” people are being abducted, raped and killed… so what’s all this fuss about?

    http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1362350/-/axe1dtz/-/

    kony must be stopped, and the kind of thinking and responses that have helped him elude justice for over twenty years must also stop.

  2. “for god and my country”. how reassuring.

    Just 5 months ago, this was the story being carried across Uganda on tv, radio and in the newspapers, “The Defense Minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga has confirmed reports of a possible attack by the Allied Democratic Forces and the LRA based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

    http://www.256news.com/1948/defense-minister-confirms-possible-attack-by-adf/

    oh and although he’s currently in “hiding” in the jungles of countries outside uganda, he’s “just” a threat to “remote communities” in other countries where “relatively few” people are being abducted, raped and killed… so what’s all this fuss about?

    http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1362350/-/axe1dtz/-/

    kony must be stopped, and the kind of thinking and responses that have helped him elude justice for over twenty years must also stop.

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