Speakers

Karl Wycoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Africa, U.S. Department of State

Michael Poffenberger, President, Resolve 

Alan Goulty, Senior Scholar, Woodrow Wilson Center, and Former UK Ambassador to Sudan

The Great Lakes Policy Forum hosted an event titled, "The Lords of Resistance Army: Implementing Policy to End an Enduring Problem." Operating without any clear political agenda for nearly 25 years, the Lord’s Resistance Army may be one of the most enduring and perplexing militias in the Great Lakes region. They have used a cease fire and peace talks to scout new territory, have consistently replenished their numbers through child abductions, and they continue to brutally attack civilians. Yet fighting them has been described as “shooting at bees.” When under attack, as in Operation Lightning Thunder which began in 2008, they have dispersed, attacked civilians, and then regrouped in new, larger territories. Nearly a year ago, President Obama signed a law committing the United States to helping resolve this problem. How can we defeat a militia that scatters when attacked and shows no signs of committing to a peace agreement?

For a full summary of this event, please click here.