The Battle Against an Army of Children

The Battle Against an Army of Children

There is something unique about every person that our society deems crazy, and that one reason may explain to you why they are doing what they are. Hitler for example, he hated his Jewish heritage and decided to wipe out every trace of it, causing the Holocaust. However, Joseph Kony is another story. Some say he rages across Africa stealing children, while others say that he is just loyal to the Holy Spirit Movement (HSM) and will do anything to promote it (Johnson). Kony, a man possessed by spirits, is stealing children under the cover of night fall and inhumanly ravaging across Africa despite countless government and celebrity attempts to intervene (Jagielski).

Joseph Kony was raised by his father, a catechist in the church, but never showed an interest in fighting (Johnson). Although, he is currently the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), that is trying to set up a theocratic government in Uganda (Stop Kony: Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” to Find Justice for Child Soldiers). “He claimed to be a prophet sent from God to purify the people of Uganda and create a bastion of peace” (“Stop Kony 2012: Why the Invisible Children of Uganda Need Your Help”). CNN, a world renowned magazine that speaks on historical and recent news events, said “Kony convinced people about his religious powers and his authority is hard to question”. Joseph claimed to be Alice Lakwena’s, a woman who channels to the spirit world, cousin. Alice was one of the most popular rebels in the HSM and was sent into exile. “Kony took up her mantle donning women’s robes and leading an army of devoted holy warriors into the bush” (Johnson). Kony was mainly possessed by four spirits. When possessed by Chingpo, he appeared kind and loving. He never argued with anyone when this spirit took him over. Franco, another spirit that occasionally took over Kony, was calm, fond of a joke, and even tempered. However, when he was taken by the Congolese spirits, he commonly ordered killings and became cruel and vengeful commander. This is said to be the most important and most powerful spirit, because one wrong move could cause him to give an order for murder. The last spirit, the Sudan and Alcholi-land, were spirits of medicine and healing. Kony was overcome by a effeminate personality when possessed by this spirit. “In Alcholi-land his susceptibility to spirits was regarded as a gift, not a curse” (Jagielski). One would agree that the spirits are a major cause to his involvement in the army of children in Uganda.

The LRA hasn’t only committed abduction, rape, maiming, and murder, but they have also joined up with the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALIR) to raise the levels of terror and to create violence ( “Stop Kony 2012: Why the Invisible Children of Uganda Need Your Help, How to Get Involved”). The movement began in 1986, to rebel against their Ugandan