FROM ALTAR BOY TO WARLORD:JOSEPH KONY STILL AFRICA’S MOST WANTED

Joseph Kony, the elusive founder of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), remains one of Africa’s most wanted fugitives nearly two decades after he was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Born around 1961 in northern Uganda, Kony once served as an altar boy in his local Catholic church. He later claimed to be a prophet, launching a violent rebellion in 1987 with the aim of overthrowing the Ugandan government and establishing a regime based on the Ten Commandments.
His rebel group, the LRA, became infamous for abducting tens of thousands of children, forcing boys to become soldiers and girls into sexual slavery. The group terrorized communities across Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic, leaving a trail of devastation.
In 2005, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Kony and several top LRA commanders. Despite international manhunts and the viral #Kony2012 campaign that briefly brought global attention to his crimes, Kony has managed to evade capture.
Although his influence has waned and the LRA is significantly weakened, Kony remains at large, a symbol of impunity and unfulfilled justice for thousands of victims across Central Africa.