UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (UPI) -- U.S. military personnel working in Africa are helping regional armies take on the remnants of the Lord's Resistance Army, a U.N. peacekeeping official said.
U.N. Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous told the U.N. News Center that U.S. forces were helping regional militaries track down members of the LRA and their leader, Joseph Kony.
"But the peacekeepers have also taken a softer approach to encourage combatants to give up their weapons and return to civilian life," he said. "Radio programs and leaflets target rebels to convince them give up arms and return to civilian life."
Kony and LRA have gained international attention since advocacy group Invisible Children posted a 30-minute video on YouTube about alleged atrocities attributed to the Ugandan militant group.
B. Lynn Pascoe, U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs, said peacekeepers needed to "redouble" their efforts to track down Kony and the LRA remnants.
The United Nations had worked to convince the LRA to lay down its weapons. There are an estimated 500 fighters in the militant group.
Kony remains at large despite a 2005 indictment by the International Criminal Court on more than 30 counts of violations of international law, including war crimes.
