Several news agencies are reporting that a special military unit consisting of 5,000 troops has been assembled and will begin the hunt for Joseph Kony this weekend. The Ugandan leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is wanted for multiple war crimes, particularly the conscription of child soldiers into his rebel movement.

The soldiers who will be looking for Kony are part of a multinational force from Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic. These African nations have all been affected by the crimes committed by the LRA under Kony’s leadership.

The special unit has been given green light to commence search and capture operations. The initial command post has been set up in Entebbe, Uganda, and the leaders announced that their actions have been authorized by the United Nations and the African Union. Colonel Dick Colum, force commander, explained that the unilateral effort of the Ugandan Army in the past lacked coordination with foreign troops.

The African Union’s special envoy in counter-terrorism matters, Francisco Madeira, also pointed out that coordination between foreign armies was needed all along in the past.

The South Sudan region will be the staging area and line of departure for this special brigade. The United Nations office in Africa has admitted that international attention from online social networks around the world has helped in bringing together this coordinated effort.

One of the problems in catching Kony and the remaining members of the LRA is that they seem to have gone underground and have stopped using communication devices that can be wiretapped or tracked down. Ugandan security forces have been able to find and kill LRA pockets of resistance when crossing the border into the Central African Republic.

The Social Media Effort and the Indictment Against Kony

In previous articles, The Costa Rica Star has covered the efforts of social media channels in Costa Rica in raising awareness about the Kony 2012 movement. The opinion of Costa Rica and her people is respected by the international community. It is unlikely that Costa Rica will support a bounty on Kony’s head, but will support military efforts to bring him to justice.

Should Kony of be captured alive and brought to justice, his fate may be decided by a judge from Costa Rica. Elizabeth Odio Benito, our former Vice-President, is currently sitting in the International Criminal Court (ICC), and she has been instrumental in ruling cases dealing with conscription of child soldiers who are also sold into sexual slavery.

Sources: The Winnipeg Free Press and BBC News