U.S., African troops search for Kony

OBO, Central African Republic, April 30 (UPI) -- African and U.S. troops made progress in a search for warlord Joseph Kony, who may be moving between Sudan and the Central African Republic, an official said.

Col. Felix Kulayigye, a Ugandan military spokesman, said part of the difficulty in locating Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, arises from his ability to move freely across borders, CNN reported Monday.

Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. He and his followers are accused of crippling and killing civilians, kidnapping children and forcing them to be either soldiers or sex slaves.

Kulayigye said he thinks Kony is moving between Sudan and the Central African Republic.

"This is the strategy that he has used for the last four to five years. When the pressure is too much here, he runs across the border because he knows we are not allowed to go after him," Kulayigye said during an interview in Obo, a city in the Central African Republic. "Whenever pressure is high, he just switches to north Sudan. It hampers our operation."

The Sudanese Information Ministry has denied the accusation.

"Kony is definitely still a threat. He's been on the run. He's on the decline and in survival mode, but he is still dangerous and he's going to be dangerous until the LRA are eliminated," a U.S. Special Forces captain told CNN on condition of anonymity.

The LRA has been on the run since 2008. Since then, the organization's attacks have left 2,400 people dead and another 465,000 displaced, said Resolve Uganda, a non-profit LRA watchdog. The group said the LRA has abducted another 3,400 people.