Kony rebels reduced to 220 combatants - report

By Brenda Angida and David Lumu

The Lord Resistance Army leader, Joseph Kony, lost at least 32 Ugandan male combatants in 2013, according to a report that tracked the LRA crisis from January to December last year.

“In total, the LRA lost at least 32 Ugandan male combatants in 2013, with unconfirmed reports indicating Uganda troops killed or captured approximately eight more,” the reports states.

The report reveals that by the end of last year, Kony rebels had been reduced to 220 combatants, including an estimated 160-168 Ugandan officers and fighters and 50 non-Ugandan low-level fighters.

According to the report that was released Tuesday by the Invisible Children, Kony now lives in isolation and that attempts for him to mobilize have come at a high cost.

“Kony’s attempts to maintain his hold on power have come at significant risk and cost,” the report states.

However, the report further reveals that: “Mapping the LRA’s command structure is extremely difficult, given lack of access to the group and Kony’s constant reshuffling of responsibilities.”

Speaking at the launch of the report today, Jolly Grace Okot Andruvile, the regional ambassador of the Invisible Children, said that the annual security brief contained in the report means that the capacity for Kony to mobilise has waned.

According to the report, Kony is now living in survival mood as his forces get disrupted by the onslaught from African Union in partnership with the UPDF and the U.S soldiers and other anti-Kony rebellion civil society groups like the Invisible Children.