Amid faltering efforts to end the violence caused by the Lord's Resistance Army, or LRA, the United Nations Security Council met last month to discuss the LRA issue. The meeting referenced many of the critical issues stymieing current efforts, and some specific plans were agreed to. However, much more will be needed to address these challenges, including greater commitment and additional resources from LRA-affected countries and the international community.
To keep the Security Council abreast of efforts connected to the U.N.'s strategy to address the LRA threat, the secretary-general submitted a report in which he said he is "encouraged by progress made in tackling the threat and impact of the LRA" since June. The report cites the identification of priority activities by the U.N., the African Union, or A.U., and LRA-affected countries and the strengthening of coordination within the U.N. as well as between the U.N. and other actors as some positive trends. Here are some of the other key points that emerged from the Security Council's recent engagement on the issue:
LRA Activity and Status of the LRA: According to the secretary-general's report, communities and humanitarian organizations reported 180 LRA attacks last year, 138 of which occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 42 in the Central African Republic, or CAR. During these attacks, the LRA abducted 193 people, about a third of which are children. As a result of LRA violence, 39 civilians died in 2012. Approximately 443,000 people are currently displaced due to the violence perpetrated by the LRA.
Although many of these numbers are lower than in past years, the context here is critical. In 2011,
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