Updated 08:39 AM EDT, Thu, Mar 28, 2024

US Sending More Special Forces to Hunt for Ugandan Warlord Joseph Kony

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The United States is sending more military special forces and aircraft to Uganda to track down infamous warlord Joseph Kony.

But it may still prove difficult to catch Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group.

According to Voice of America, the U.S. is sending 150 special forces personnel and four Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to help African forces fight the LRA. The deployment, which is expected to occur this week, adds to an existing group of U.S. special forces who are based in Uganda and working with the African military.

Paddy Ankunda, a spokesperson for the Ugandan military, said the aircraft will help African forces move quicker to dispatch soldiers to areas where LRA members are believed to be hiding.

"One of our greatest difficulties, one of our greatest problems has been airlifts, our ability to airlift personnel and materiel has been limited, but now with this deployment its going to be solved," Ankunda said.

The LRA, which is known for forcibly recruiting child soldiers and having a cult-like Christian ideology, has declined in the past few years to 250 fighters. The LRA members travel in groups across central Africa.

Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, including sexual enslavement and murder. He is believed to be hiding in the Central African Republic.

Kasper Agger, a field researcher with the Enough Project, which monitors the region's conflicts, said instability following a coup last year in the Central African Republic has created conditions for the group to expand.

"This is the dream scenario for Kony and the LRA. As long as there's instability and conflict in the areas where they are, then it provides a smokescreen for them to continue to hide," said Agger.

LRA fighters are also believed to operate in South Sudan and the Democratic Republican of Congo.

The U.S. first deployed forces to the region in 2011, armed for self-defense. Since 2011, several of the group's top commanders have been captured or have defected.

The U.S. military made counter-LRA operations a major focus in Africa. Congress approved $37.5 million for the increased deployment in the defense budget for 2014.

Agger said the military surge could be a "game-changer," and could result in finally catching Kony. However, he said his capture still remains a difficult goal at this point.

"This guy is a survivor and he's been able to stay alive for all these years, and you can put yourself in a position where you increase your odds to get Kony, but you also need a lot of luck for it to happen," said Agger.

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