The family of Joseph Kony, the infamous leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), has informed President Museveni that Kony, now 62, is in a weakened state. The family, led by Kony's son, Brig Ali Ssalongo Kony, met with President Museveni at State House in Entebbe on Friday. During the meeting, Ali Kony, accompanied by his mother, children, and Kony's uncle Kony Otim Thomas, expressed gratitude for being welcomed back into their community and expressed their readiness to become productive citizens once again.
Chief of Pageya Chiefdom, Rwot Yusuf Okwonga Adek III, also acknowledged the prevailing peace in Northern Uganda, which has allowed people to return to their homes. He thanked President Museveni for this peace and mentioned that Joseph Kony, now around 62 years old, is no longer capable of fighting back.
Rwot Adek emphasized the need to rehabilitate and support Kony's family, encouraging them to engage in productive activities such as farming.
"Your excellency, Kony’s children are now your children. The family needs help from you as their father," Rwot Yusuf Okwonga Adek stated.
In response, President Museveni pledged to provide assistance in acquiring land that the family can collectively use for agricultural purposes. He proposed the idea of a family company, where the family members work together and share the outcomes.
"We can help them set up a farm there so that they work together as a company and then share what comes out," President Museveni suggested.
He emphasized that this approach could serve as a model for others and underscored his commitment to supporting Kony war victims across the country.
The meeting was attended by the Presidential Coordinator for Northern Uganda, Odoch Bosco Olak, and other officials. The discussion reflected a shift in focus from pursuing Kony militarily to aiding his family's reintegration into society.
Joseph Kony led a rebellion against the Ugandan government in 1987, primarily in Northern Uganda. The conflict spanned more than two decades, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, displacement of civilians, and heinous crimes including murder, rape, and forced conscription of child soldiers.
In pursuit of the UPDF (Ugandan People's Defence Force), Kony and his forces eventually fled to the Central African Republic, where they are currently believed to be weakened.
In 2005, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Joseph Kony, listing 33 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Northern Uganda. The ICC prosecutor's office recently indicated its intention to potentially levy additional charges against Kony.
Furthermore, the United States government announced a bounty of 17 billion Ugandan shillings on Joseph Kony's head last year, reflecting the international effort to hold him accountable for the atrocities committed during his leadership of the LRA.
