On September 28, 2023, at approximately 2:40 pm, the final group comprising 61 former members of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and their families made their return from Mboki and Bangassou in the Central African Republic. This repatriation operation was a joint effort coordinated by the Uganda Ministry of Defence and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF).
Their arrival took place at Entebbe International Airport, occurring around 2:30 pm. The group was warmly welcomed at the airbase by a team of high-ranking military officials. Leading this delegation was Lt. Gen. Charles Okidi, who represented the Commander of Defence Forces. Anthony Akol, the Member of Parliament for Kilak North County, represented the legislators from the Acholi region to receive the former combatants.
Among the returnees, there were 15 men, including one from the Democratic Republic of Congo and one from South Sudan. Additionally, there were 14 women, with 11 of them hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo. This group also included 32 children and a newborn baby. Originally, the total number was 67, but a family consisting of a man, his wife, and their four children from the Central African Republic decided to remain in their current location.
Col. Deo Akiiki, the deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, expressed gratitude to all parties involved in this crucial final phase of resolving the LRA conflict. He emphasized that there were no ongoing UPDF operations in the Central African Republic and that the whereabouts of the LRA’s leader, Joseph Kony, remained unknown, although it was suspected that he might still be hiding in Sudan.
MP Akol, who himself had been an abductee during the conflict, conveyed his excitement at witnessing the return of Ugandans, particularly some of the 12,000 children who had been abducted from the northern region during the insurgency. He shared his joy in being able to engage with the ex-combatants, two of whom hailed from his own constituency and were proficient in the Acholi language. This also included their wives and children.
