Religious Liberty Prayer List - No. 224 - Tue 17 Jun 2003

--------------------------------------------------- UGANDA: JOSEPH KONY (LRA) ORDERS, 'KILL ALL CLERGY' ---------------------------------------------------

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues its horrific reign of terror in northern Uganda, despite courageous peace-brokering efforts by church leaders, and the Ugandan Army's military offensive. The leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony, is a spirit medium and is driven by an evil spiritual power that is clearly greater than the Ugandan army or any human influence. For 16 years, the church and the predominantly Christian population of northern Uganda have suffered cruel, barbaric atrocities at the hands of this blasphemous, terrorist cult-militia.

RLP 219 reported that 50 LRA militiamen broke into a Catholic Seminary on 11 May, killing one and abducting 44 young seminarians, though three later escaped. Another four are confirmed hacked to death by the LRA when they could no longer walk after being tortured. The remaining 37 seminarians are still missing.

Even the nearly one million Ugandans who have been forced into refugee camps by the LRA rebellion are not safe from the endless terror. On 5 June the LRA clubbed 13 civilians to death in Pabbo Camp north of Gulu. In the early hours of Sunday 15 June, they attacked villages in Lira and Arpac districts, committing their signature atrocities - butchering faces and cutting off hands. At least eight people aged 6 to 61 died from machete wounds. Hundreds of homes were torched, and nearly 100 children were abducted for use as child-soldiers and sex-slaves.

Uganda's church leaders have defied Joseph Kony's threats and courageously keep trying to broker peace. Father Carlos Rodriguez of Gulu says several commanders deserted the LRA during recent peace meetings with church officials. Kony has responded by declaring war on all clergy and missions. Rodriguez says the LRA has since 'burned, bombed and desecrated churches on nine occasions'. Kony stole radio equipment from several Catholic missions and has been using it to communicate with his soldiers. It is set to a specific mission frequency, so other Catholic missions have been picking up Kony's transmissions.

On Saturday 14 June, Kony was heard to order his LRA soldiers: 'Catholic missions must be destroyed, priests and missionaries killed in cold blood and nuns beaten black and blue.' The Ugandan Army picked up the transmission and has authenticated it. An escaped LRA prisoner/child-soldier also corroborated the order.

Many Christians are therefore in front-line danger, such as the clergy trying to broker peace, Christian workers seeking to shelter children (like the Noah's Ark Children's Ministry Uganda - RLP 219), those trying to bring deep healing and deliverance to traumatised former LRA prisoners/child-soldiers/sex-slaves, and the Christian doctors and carers helping victims of facial mutilation.

(Recent LRA defectors report that Government of Sudan uniformed troops are supplying the LRA with truckloads of advanced weaponry and ammunition.)

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* God to bind all the demonic spirits allied with Joseph Kony and the LRA, to keep drawing defectors from all ranks of the LRA, and effect the escape and rescue of hundreds of abducted children.

* divine protection and blessing for all clergy, nuns, and Christian workers, especially those in front-line danger.

* northern Uganda's pastors and teachers, that they will not lose faith or hope, but will be able to shepherd God's children through these horrific times.

* divine intervention to come from God's own mighty forces, with the Lord bursting through the LRA and ending its rebellion forever.

'The Lord has done it!' David exclaimed. 'He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!' So David named that place Baal- perazim (which means 'the Lord who bursts through'.) 2 Samuel 5:20

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ------------------------------------------------------------ UGANDA: JOSEPH KONY (LRA) ORDERS, 'KILL ALL CLERGY'

The blasphemous, terrorist, cult-militia, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to maim, butcher, terrorise, abduct, kill and plunder the predominantly Christian people of northern Uganda. Recently however, several LRA commanders defected from the LRA during peace talks brokered by church leaders. The head of the LRA, a spirit medium named Joseph Kony, has now ordered, 'Catholic missions must be destroyed, priests and missionaries killed in cold blood and nuns beaten black and blue.' Missions and the Ugandan Army picked this up from an intercepted LRA radio message, which the army has authenticated. An escaped LRA prisoner/child-soldier has also corroborated the order. Pray for divine intervention to protect Christian workers and deliver Uganda from the LRA forever.

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The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.

Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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