Four members of Joseph Kony’s family have returned to Uganda after escaping from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
The returnees; Judith Acan, a former wife of Kony, and three of his children, Akidi Betty, Kony Pope, and Amu Maisa arrived at Entebbe International Airport early on Wednesday morning.
The Ugandan government welcomed them back, renewing its call for all remaining LRA fighters to surrender. Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenneth Omona, received the returnees, emphasizing that the government remains open to granting amnesty to those who choose to leave the rebel group.
“We continue to call upon all those still in the bush to come back home. The door is still open, and all who have surrendered have been granted amnesty, just like those who arrived today,” Dr. Omona stated.
According to reports, the four escaped from an LRA camp in the Central African Republic (CAR) last year. Sources suggest that Joseph Kony’s camp has been in turmoil, with more fighters, women, and children fleeing over the past year.
Kony, once the feared leader of a brutal rebel group, is now believed to be moving with fewer than 100 men in the jungles of CAR. Since 2006, the LRA has operated in CAR, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but its strength has been greatly weakened.
The returnees will now undergo rehabilitation in Gulu City, where they will receive vocational training before reintegrating into their communities in May. They will be supported by a Dutch NGO, Pax, which provides former LRA members with startup kits to help them rebuild their lives.
Despite the return of his family members, no new information has been provided about Kony’s whereabouts. However, the Ugandan government remains hopeful that more fighters will surrender, bringing an end to the long-running insurgency.
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Who told you we abandon him, he is ours father we love him more than any one, don’t you know that blood is thicker than water