Publication

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been one of Africa's most brutal militia forces for over two decades, having spread from northern Uganda to cover an expansive area that is outside the day-to-day control of regional governments. This paper examines the LRA in depth, including its historical development, inability of past offensives to succeed against it, and the current force disposition of the group. It then examines current US and international thinking on how expanded efforts to counter the LRA could work best in the field. The author concludes that, in the absence of greater, direct US military engagement, the United States must be willing to make significant investments to support regional and peacekeeping partners to defeat the LRA.