| June 8, 2005: Army corruption, and LRA leaders fearful of prosecution for war crimes, is keeping the LRA in business. Army officers have stolen much money by maintaining phantom soldiers in their units, and taking the pay of the non-existent troops. Those soldiers who are on duty generally come from the south, and don't speak the languages of the northern tribes. This makes it difficult to get information from locals, and increases the likelihood of soldiers abusing civilians. But by sending more and more infantry battalions to the north, along with helicopter and warplane units, the LRA has been beaten down. But the LRA is not gone, because the UN wants to prosecute the LRA leadership as war criminals. With that kind of incentive, the LRA leaders have nothing to lose by continuing to fight. The UN, and other NGOs, are unlikely to back off on the war criminal bit, because it is more fashionable to have war crimes trials than it is to cut deals with warlords to stop the killing. |