The Lord's Resistance Army Myth and Reality

The Lord's Resistance Army is Africa's most extraordinarily persistent and notorious 'terrorist' group. Since their rebellion in northern Uganda began in 1987, the group is estimated to have abducted an estimated 30,000 children as well as committing a series of massacres and other horrific human rights abuses against the local population. Led by the mysterious Joseph Kony, who in 2005 was indicted by the International Criminal Court, they remain a group that inspires both fascination and fear. Authoritative but provocative,The Lord's Resistance Armyprovides the most comprehensive analysis of the group available, dismantling numerous myths and providing a wealth of information that is not widely known. From the issue of child soldiers to the response of the Ugandan government, the book looks at every aspect of this most brutal of conflicts, and even includes a remarkable first-hand interview with Joseph Kony himself.

Dr Tim Allen is a Reader at the London School of Economics and Program Director of the graduate program in Development Studies. Prof. Koen Vlassenroot is the Coordinator of the Conflict Research Group at Ghent University.

On the nature and causes of LRA abduction: What the abductees say  *  * Part Two: Representations of the LRA * 6. Sverker Finnström * An African hell of colonial imagination? * The Lord's Resistance Army/Movement in Uganda, another story * 7. Kristof Titeca * The Spiritual Order of the LRA  * 8. Ben Mergelsberg * Between two worlds: former LRA soldiers in northern Uganda * 9. Mareike Schomerus * Chasing the Kony Story * Part Three: Promoting peace * 10. Sandrine Perrot * Northern Ugandan: a forgotten conflict, again? * The impact of the internationalization of the resolution process * 11. Ronald R. Atkinson  * The Role of the Government of the South Sudan in  * Peace Talks to End the War in Northern Uganda  * 12. Simon Simonse, Willemijn Verkoren, Gerd Junne *  NGO involvement in the Juba peace talks. The role and dilemmas of IKV Pax Christi * 13. Ronald Iya * Encountering Kony: A Madi perspective   * Part Four: Justice and the future * 14. Tim Allen * Bitter roots: the 'invention'  of Acholi traditional justice * 15. Phil Clark * Recreating tradition:   * Lessons from Rwanda for community-based transitional justice in Northern Uganda * 16. Matthew Brubacher * The ICC Investigation of the Lord's Resistance Army: An Insider's View * 17. Bibliography