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AU manhunt for LRA's Kony

March 24, 2012

Five thousand African Union troops are set to embark on a manhunt for the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) on Saturday. Joseph Kony, head of the LRA, is believed to be in the Central African Republic.

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Joseph Kony
Image: AP

The mission will start in South Sudan and will continue until Kony is caught.

Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for leading the LRA's widespread campaign of rape, murder, and mutilation. They are believed to have kidnapped boys to use as child soldiers and girls as sex slaves.

A video spread via social media about Kony to increase his notoriety as an impetus for policymakers to take action and find him appears to have had some effect.

"The awareness has been useful, very important," said the UN envoy to Central Africa, Acout Moussa.

Despite a recent decline in membership numbers for the LRA, Moussa says the organization is still a threat.

"The most important thing is that no matter how little the LRA may be, it still constitutes a danger to the environment, they continue to attack and create havoc," he said from a press conference at the UN from Entebbe, Uganda.

African Union forces will be searching for Kony in Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Uganda has been at the head of the search effort for Kony and the LRA so far.

mz, sjt (AFP, AP)