Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2008, Page 26
Background on Children in the LRA
The LRA relies upon unwilling recruits, whom it forcibly integrates into the movement with
the hope that they will not attempt to escape (Vinci 2005, 367).11 While the LRA will abduct
a few adults for short periods (only hours or days), the group focuses recruiting efforts on
children (Allen 2006, 64). Most adults abducted into the LRA are either released or killed
before they undergo all the initiation rituals that children experience. Therefore, the
experiences of most kidnapped children in the LRA differ tremendously from those of adults.
One reason that the LRA targets children is Kony‘s desire to form a future Acholi race from
the children born and abducted into his movement. ―They are supposed to be a blank sheet
of paper that may be filled by Kony‘s commandments‖ (Doom and Vlassenroot 1998, 25).
Children are ideal for building a pure society because they have not yet been socialized fully
into the Acholi way of life, and Kony believes that the Acholi need moral rejuvenation to
prevent the apocalypse. Another benefit from recruiting children is that they are effective
scouts and soldiers because their size makes them difficult for the enemy to see (Shaw
2003, 241).
The United Nations (2003, 15) estimates that the LRA has abducted more than 20,000
children since 1990. Many factors, however, make it nearly impossible to confirm this
estimate. For example, Kristen Cheney (2005, 38) found that many people report fabricated
abduction stories to the UPDF, hoping to receive the increased rations offered to escapees in
the camps for internally displaced people. Moreover, Tim Allen (2006, 62) argues that more
adults than children claim that the LRA abducted them—even though there are more
children in the LRA than there are adults—and that self-reported abduction rates are higher
than the probable number of abductions. Conversely, some returnees try to avoid reporting
because they fear community reprisals—children who escape the LRA often face some form
of ostracism when they return home. In addition, no clear criterion exists to assess what
‗abduction‘ means, and the LRA abducts people for durations ranging from hours to years.
On a related issue, researchers also dispute the age of children the LRA targets. According
to the United Nations (2003, 15), the majority of children the LRA abducts are between the
ages of eight and fifteen. Amnesty International (1997, 1), however, reports that the
majority of children abducted are between the ages of thirteen and sixteen because older
children are stronger. Human Rights Watch (1997, 2) nearly confirms Amnesty
International‘s estimates by stating that the LRA prefers children between the ages of
fourteen and sixteen. Other reports suggest both that the LRA now targets younger children
and that commanders are younger than before because older children have a better
understanding of the government‘s Amnesty Accord and therefore are more likely to
attempt to escape (Vinci 2005, 366-367). If the LRA‘s target age for children changed
between 1997 and 2003, then the differences between Amnesty International (1997) and
Human Rights Watch (1997) estimates versus the United Nations (2003) estimates might
reflect changes within the LRA itself.
Regardless of their age, children who fill any LRA role for any amount of time experience
atrocities. Even the children and adults whom the LRA forces to carry loot for a distance and
then sets free or abandons in unfamiliar territory often tell terrifying stories (Cheney 2005,
28). This shared experience of atrocities is in part because the LRA raids villages at night
(with previously recruited child soldiers), takes children from their homes, and massacres
anyone whom the group claims is impure. Consequently, even children who avoid abduction
often witness murders.
After abduction into the LRA, most children spontaneously fill several roles, the most
common of which is hauling. The LRA considers some children to be too young to fight, and
it forces those children to haul, loot, or watch in high trees for UPDF soldiers until they
become soldiers, die, or escape (Allen, 2006:69). All children conduct household duties,
Background on Children in the LRA
The LRA relies upon unwilling recruits, whom it forcibly integrates into the movement with
the hope that they will not attempt to escape (Vinci 2005, 367).11 While the LRA will abduct
a few adults for short periods (only hours or days), the group focuses recruiting efforts on
children (Allen 2006, 64). Most adults abducted into the LRA are either released or killed
before they undergo all the initiation rituals that children experience. Therefore, the
experiences of most kidnapped children in the LRA differ tremendously from those of adults.
One reason that the LRA targets children is Kony‘s desire to form a future Acholi race from
the children born and abducted into his movement. ―They are supposed to be a blank sheet
of paper that may be filled by Kony‘s commandments‖ (Doom and Vlassenroot 1998, 25).
Children are ideal for building a pure society because they have not yet been socialized fully
into the Acholi way of life, and Kony believes that the Acholi need moral rejuvenation to
prevent the apocalypse. Another benefit from recruiting children is that they are effective
scouts and soldiers because their size makes them difficult for the enemy to see (Shaw
2003, 241).
The United Nations (2003, 15) estimates that the LRA has abducted more than 20,000
children since 1990. Many factors, however, make it nearly impossible to confirm this
estimate. For example, Kristen Cheney (2005, 38) found that many people report fabricated
abduction stories to the UPDF, hoping to receive the increased rations offered to escapees in
the camps for internally displaced people. Moreover, Tim Allen (2006, 62) argues that more
adults than children claim that the LRA abducted them—even though there are more
children in the LRA than there are adults—and that self-reported abduction rates are higher
than the probable number of abductions. Conversely, some returnees try to avoid reporting
because they fear community reprisals—children who escape the LRA often face some form
of ostracism when they return home. In addition, no clear criterion exists to assess what
‗abduction‘ means, and the LRA abducts people for durations ranging from hours to years.
On a related issue, researchers also dispute the age of children the LRA targets. According
to the United Nations (2003, 15), the majority of children the LRA abducts are between the
ages of eight and fifteen. Amnesty International (1997, 1), however, reports that the
majority of children abducted are between the ages of thirteen and sixteen because older
children are stronger. Human Rights Watch (1997, 2) nearly confirms Amnesty
International‘s estimates by stating that the LRA prefers children between the ages of
fourteen and sixteen. Other reports suggest both that the LRA now targets younger children
and that commanders are younger than before because older children have a better
understanding of the government‘s Amnesty Accord and therefore are more likely to
attempt to escape (Vinci 2005, 366-367). If the LRA‘s target age for children changed
between 1997 and 2003, then the differences between Amnesty International (1997) and
Human Rights Watch (1997) estimates versus the United Nations (2003) estimates might
reflect changes within the LRA itself.
Regardless of their age, children who fill any LRA role for any amount of time experience
atrocities. Even the children and adults whom the LRA forces to carry loot for a distance and
then sets free or abandons in unfamiliar territory often tell terrifying stories (Cheney 2005,
28). This shared experience of atrocities is in part because the LRA raids villages at night
(with previously recruited child soldiers), takes children from their homes, and massacres
anyone whom the group claims is impure. Consequently, even children who avoid abduction
often witness murders.
After abduction into the LRA, most children spontaneously fill several roles, the most
common of which is hauling. The LRA considers some children to be too young to fight, and
it forces those children to haul, loot, or watch in high trees for UPDF soldiers until they
become soldiers, die, or escape (Allen, 2006:69). All children conduct household duties,
