Joseph Kony’s rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has lately become active, getting involved in several incidences of looting and abduction of children in areas of Democratic Republic of Uganda (DRC), the LRA crisis tracker has indicated.

The LRA crisis tracker, a joint project of two charity organisations – Invisible Children and The Resolve, reports up to nine incidences of looting and abductions in different parts of DRC in the month of September alone. The LRA is looting majorly food, money and in some cases medicines according to the report.

The report also notes that the LRA is abducting more children and releasing adults. The hardest hit areas are; Gongolo and Bangadi in Haut Uele, DRC and Yalinga, Haute-Kotto in the Central African Republic (CAR).

On September 20, a group of 6 LRA rebels entered the village of Gongolo in Haut Uele province and looted household items and medicines from a medical dispensary. They abducted a young boy before departing according to witnesses. The same group was also reportedly sighted two days later about 7km north of Ngilima with one girl and 4 boys being held captive.

On September 17 in Bangadi, Haut Uele province two armed LRA combatants ambushed two men. They reportedly abducted them before releasing them. The victims later reported that the group had abducted a young girl earlier that day, whom they did not release.

Meanwhile in September in Yalinga, in the Central African Republic, a suspected LRA group attacked civilians camping in a field 5km west of Yalinga. They reportedly looted the village and injured a civilian, before splitting into two groups and heading in the direction of Bria and Nzako.

Other attacks in DRC are in Mabadabada,  where 6 armed LRA combatants robbed 2 cyclists and a doctor of their money, vaccines, and other goods along the Nambia Ngbangala-Bangadi road. The combatants also kidnapped three men and a young boy. They released the 3 men the following day but kept the boy captive.

Three other attacks were in areas of Mugalie where two women, a man and a boy were abducted and later released by 5 armed LRA soldiers.

According to the report, the latest major attack was of armed LRA group that looted food, pharmaceuticals, and other belongings in Banda and also reportedly abducted at least 15 men, 3 women, 6 boys, and 3 girls. The report also says the LRA killed two police officers and injured another.

Although their numbers are considered minimal, the LRA continues to carry out attacks in some areas in the region. Led by war lord Joseph Kony, the LRA is responsible for the death of thousands of people from especially northern Uganda, and the displacement of millions into internally displaced peoples camps, and the abduction and conscription into the army of thousands of children.