Here are a few articles that have been written about the "Lord's Resistance Army," otherwise known as the LRA.
FROM WIKIPEDIA: The Lord's Resistance Army [go to site]
It is estimated that around 30,000 children have been kidnapped by the group since 1987 for use as soldiers and sex slaves. The group performs abductions primarily from the Acholi people, who have borne the brunt of the 18 year LRA campaign. The insurgency has been mainly contained to the region known as Acholiland, consisting of the districts of Kitgum, Gulu, and Pader, though since 2002 violence has overflowed into other districts. The LRA has also operated across the porous border region with Southern Sudan, subjecting Sudanese civilians to its horrific tactics.
Up to 12,000 people have been killed in the violence, with many more dying from disease and malnutrition as a direct result of the conflict. Nearly two million civilians have been forced to flee their homes, living in internally displaced person (IDP) camps and within the safety of larger settlements, sleeping on street corners and in other public spaces. Despite these forced migrations, the plight of the Acholi people has received little media coverage in the developed world. Not until April 2004 did the UN Security Council issue a formal condemnation.
While the LRA now appears to consist of less than two thousand combatants that are under intense pressure from the Ugandan military, the government has been unable to end the insurgency so far. Ongoing peace negotiations have been complicated by an investigation by the International Criminal Court. The conflict continues to retard Uganda's development efforts, costing the poor country's economy a cumulative total of at least $1.33 billion, which is equivalent to 3% of GDP, or $100 million annually. A 2005 poll of humanitarian professionals, media personalities, academics and activists identified the conflict in the north of Uganda as the second worst "forgotten" humanitarian emergency in the world, after the conflicts of neighboring DRC.
Night Commuters: Each night, children between the ages of 3 and 17, referred to as "Night Commuters", walk up to 20 kilometres (12.45 miles) from IDP camps to larger towns, especially Gulu, in search of safety from the LRA.
There have been several initiatives to raise international awareness for these children, including the "Gulu Walks" and the work of the Uganda Conflict Action Network. It is also the subject of the documentaries Stolen Children, Wardance, and "Invisible Children." The Invisible Children documentary sponsored the Global Night Commute, which is similar to the Gulu Walks. Additionally, "The Name Campaign" asks people to wear nameplate necklaces imprinted with the first name of one of the thousands of abducted children as a means of raising public awareness. Danny Glover and Don Cheadle have both been vocal advocates on behalf of the children of Northern Uganda.
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