Ugandan Government Urges Remaining LRA Fighters to Surrender as Kony’s Family Members Return Home

Kampala, Uganda – The Ugandan government has renewed its call for the remaining fighters of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to surrender, following the return of four family members of the group’s fugitive leader, Joseph Kony.

On Wednesday, Dr. Kenneth Omona, Minister of State for Northern Uganda, officially received Judith Acan, a former wife of Kony, along with three of his children, at Entebbe International Airport. The group had escaped from an LRA camp in the Central African Republic (CAR) last year amid reported internal instability within the rebel ranks.

Speaking at the reception ceremony, Dr. Omona reiterated the government’s commitment to reintegrating those who voluntarily abandon the 

“We continue to urge all remaining LRA members to lay down their arms and return home,” he said. “The government remains committed to granting amnesty and supporting their reintegration into society.”

Acan and the children were immediately placed under the care of Uganda’s Amnesty Commission and will undergo a structured rehabilitation process in Gulu City. Authorities emphasized that their return is part of broader efforts to dismantle what remains of the LRA and to bring lasting peace to affected communities.

The LRA, which Kony founded in the late 1980s, has been weakened significantly over the years due to sustained military pressure from Ugandan and international forces. Reports suggest that internal discord within the group has intensified, prompting defections and surrenders.

Kony himself remains a fugitive, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. His location remains unknown, though intelligence reports indicate he may still be hiding in remote areas of CAR or neighboring countries.

The returnees will undergo psychosocial counseling and skills training as part of their reintegration process. Civil society organizations and local leaders in Northern Uganda have welcomed the development, expressing hope that it will encourage more LRA fighters to defect.

“The war has been over for years, and those still in the bush should know that there is a place for them at home,” said a local leader in Gulu.

Uganda’s Amnesty Act has played a key role in encouraging former LRA fighters to surrender. Thousands have benefited from the program, which provides legal forgiveness and reintegration support.

With the LRA’s numbers dwindling and its leadership increasingly fractured, authorities remain optimistic that more defections could eventually lead to the complete dismantling of the rebel group.