How is the LRA perceived in Uganda?
In the beginning there was a gross misrepresentation of this conflict by the government: it was like the Acholis – the bad guys – versus the government. And therefore in the rest of the communities in Uganda, in the southern part, it was, well, if they are suffering, it’s good punishment, good riddance. But over time people have realised this is a Ugandan conflict and has to be resolved by the collective response of all Ugandans. So over the last year we have had a tremendous national response – the urging of government to talk peace, and then the urging of everybody who can to provide humanitarian support. Q: The leader of this movement, Joseph Kony, projects himself as a mystical, shadowy person. What do you think of him? A: I think, being a scientist myself, I always understood the mysticism as the context within which they could easily operate and implement their agenda. It was nothing tangible. But they used it to influence those around them, even to impose their will on the popul
