On the trail of Joseph Kony

For more than 20 years now, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has been waging war against innocent civilians in Northern Uganda and surrounding countries, pillaging, torturing, dismembering and murdering adults, and kidnapping children to brutalise, brainwash and use as recruits. Journalist Matthew Green set out to find and interview the LRA’s leader Joseph Kony, and The Wizard of the Nile: The Hunt for Africa’s Most Wanted tells the story of his journey.

Kony claims to be representing the Acholi people of Northern Uganda in a war to overthrow President Museveni’s government and install a government “based on the Ten Commandments”. He does not seem to realise that his actions are diametrically opposed to every one of the Ten Commandments: 1. No other God and 2. No idols – Kony is a practising spirit medium; 3. Misusing God’s name – Kony frequently purports to speak for God; 4. Sabbath Day – The LRA conducts raids on Sundays; 5. Honour parents – the LRA kidnaps children then forces them to kill their families; 6. No murder – Kony does plenty of that; 7. No adultery – Kony has 80 wives; 8. No stealing – the LRA constantly steals; 9. No lying – Kony engages in consistent deception; 10. No coveting – Kony is always coveting the possessions and positions of others.

The story of the LRA has not been well documented, and Green’s book helps to remedy that. The writing is engaging, and the subject matter very interesting. However, the author’s quest to meet Joseph Kony is ultimately more of a celebrity chase than a search to find the answer to any serious question. If and when Kony’s war is finally ended, the trauma that he has caused will last for decades.