August 30, 2009: How do you make peace with an indicted war criminal, who is still murdering and enslaving civilians? Such is the situation with the elusive Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) of Uganda. So far this year, Kony and Company (a few hundred gunmen) have killed or enslaved nearly a thousand people. Over 400,000 people have fled their homes just because it was rumored Kony was headed their way.
Before that, Kony and his henchmen tore apart northern Uganda, by turning teenagers into deadly gunmen, and enslaving children and adults as a support force. Kony has been at it for over twenty years. His tactics have killed over 100,000 people, and turned northern Uganda into a mess. The Ugandans eventually drove him out of Uganda. But now Kony and his followers are ravaging eastern Congo. No one seems able to catch him, and his having been declared an international war criminal has made peace talks with him impossible. Kony won't accept any amnesty if it means being tried as a war criminal, and the international court that indicted him, is not authorized to negotiate any deal that would let Kony walk free. Justice must be served, even if it can't stop the mayhem.
