Lord's Resistance Army

Tim Allen is Professor in Development Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His publications include the best selling textbook, Poverty and Development (2000), as well as books on ethnic conflict in Europe, media coverage of wars, links between culture and development issues, and mass forced displacement in Africa. In 2005 he directed a six month study on the experiences of people who have been abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. His latest books have been Trial Justice: The International Criminal Court and the Lord's Resistance Army (Zed 2006), and Complex emergencies and Humanitarian Responses (2009). In addition to academic work, he has worked as a consultant with numerous international organisations, including UNDP, UNICEF, UNRISD, MSF, LWF, Save the Children, World Vision and DFID. He is also a broadcaster and has presented or contributed to numerous radio programmes for the Open University and the BBC.Koen Vlassenroot is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghent, where he also coordinates the Conflict Research Group. He is also the Director of the Central Africa Programme of Egmont, the Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels.

'For those interested in a critical alternative to the official line from the ICC, this is a collection to read. It brings together a range of scholars, bright and bold, from within and outside the continent, joined by a shared commitment to a future for Africa beyond crime and punishment.' Mahmood Mamdani, author of Saviours and Survivors: Darfur, Politics and the War on Terror 'The atrocities by the LRA left behind a legacy which will not die. This book gives the true account about the war, with no stone left untouched.' Adrawa Lawrence Dulu, African Development and Peace Initiative 'Why bad things happen in Africa. ... there are no excuses for Joseph Kony and his bestial 'Christianity', but there are reasons for it rooted in the politics and history of Uganda and its neighbours. This book goes beyond the simplistic media stereotypes to provide the best analysis yet of how these child-abusers continue to defy international justice.' Geoffrey Robertson, author of Crimes Against Humanity 'This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the conflict in Uganda and in "terror" more generally.' David Keen, author of Complex Emergencies 'One could not desire a more comprehensive, wide-ranging yet coherent, deeply informed discussion of the Lord's Resistance Army than the one Allen and Vlassenroot have put together. This volume is more than "essential" and "required". It is utterly brilliant.' Kevin Dunn, author of Imagining the Congo 'This masterful, long-awaited and much-needed book transcends political agendas and uninformed stereotyping to present an astute and balanced analysis of the Lord's Resistance Army. The skilful assembling of expertise and insight from the key analysts of the LRA into a single publication makes this an essential read for researchers, practitioners, and students seeking to understand the LRA.' Nana Poku, University of Bradford 'The conflict in northern Uganda has seemingly defied coherent explanation for the past two decades, yet in this insightful, compelling and compassionate book we at last have a definitive work on the strange phenomena that is the Lord's Resistance Army. Every essay here is contributes to our understanding of the political and social forces that have created and sustained Joseph Kony and his followers. If ever a group of international writers have provided an 'insider's account' of an African struggle, then this is surely it.' David Anderson, University of Oxford 'A fascinating and revealing collection.' Harry Johnstone, Times Literary Supplement

• Introduction - Tim Allen and Koen Vlassenroot Part I: Interpretations of Uganda's war in the north1. Exploring the Roots of LRA Violence: Political Crisis and Ethnic Politics in Acholiland - Adam Branch2. Uganda's politics of foreign aid and violent conflict: The political uses of the LRA rebellion - Andrew Mwenda3. The Spiritual Order of the LRA - Kristof Titeca4. An African hell of colonial imagination? The Lord's Resistance Army/Movement in Uganda, another story - Sverker FinnströmPart II: Experiencing the LRA5. Chasing the Kony Story - Mareike Schomerus6. 'A terrorist is not a person like me' - an interview with Joseph Kony - Mareike Schomerus7. On the nature and causes of LRA abduction: What the abductees say - Christopher Blattman and Jeannie Annan8. Between two worlds: former LRA soldiers in northern Uganda - Ben Mergelsberg9. Encountering Kony: A Madi perspective - Ronald IyaPart III: Peace and justice10. Northern Ugandan: a 'forgotten conflict', again? The impact of the internationalization of the resolution process - Sandrine Perrot11. The Role of the Government of the South Sudan in Peace Talks to End the War in Northern Uganda - Ronald R. Atkinson12. NGO involvement in the Juba peace talk: the role and dilemmas of IKV Pax Christi - Simon Simonse, Willemijn Verkoren, Gerd Junne13. Bitter Roots: the 'invention' of Acholi traditional justice - Tim Allen14. The ICC Investigation of the Lord's Resistance Army: An Insider's View - Matthew BrubacherPostscript: a kind of peace and an exported war - Tim Allen, Frederick Laker, Holly Porter and Mareike SchomerusBibliography