Translate page with Google

Story Publication logo October 19, 2010

Abandoned People: Central African Republic

Country:

Central african republic
Author:
Mbonih Ndele Mari was abducted by the LRA outside Niangara and left for dead by them after they cut off her lips and her ears. She is now in a hospital in Niangara. Her children are being looked after by family close by.
English

Project

The Lord's Resistance Army: The Hunt for Africa's Most Wanted

Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army, notorious for its use of child soldiers and sex slaves, has...

author #1 image author #2 image
Multiple Authors
READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
SECTIONS
Felicite Mboligassie, 26, has three children. She was abducted and made the wife of Odyambo. She was beaten regularly. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Madaline, 32, was abducted along with her husband and daughter and forced to carry heavy loads nonstop for 48 hours, then released when her captors discovered she had three children. She was pregnant at the time but on her return home she lost the baby. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Emanuelle Daba, 32, was abducted in March 2008. Taken in the middle of the night from a funeral in Obo, he was a porter for a year and a half, though he was also forced to participate in many killings. He escaped when he was sent to guard a road after having gained the trust of the commanders, who then chased him for many kilometers. On his return to Obo, he established a victims association. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Mbikoakare Odulan, 19, was abducted in March 2008 spent a year and four months with the LRA. He was a porter and spent time with Kony in Congo and in Sudan. He escaped during a Ugandan Army counter attack of an LRA attack on Ango, Central African Republic. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Faustin Tanga, 26, was abducted in March 2008 and escaped after an attack by the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF). He had spent a year and a half in the LRA. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Isoko Pelagie, 20, was abducted in 2008 and spent two years as one of Agweng's nine wives. She was pregnant when she was abducted and she gave birth in the bush. She escaped following an attack, but was very sick and could not run fast, so the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) caught her. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Isoko Pelagie, 20, was abducted in 2008 and spent two years as one of Agweng's nine wives. She was pregnant when she was abducted and she gave birth in the bush. She escaped following an attack, but was very sick and could not run fast, so the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) caught her. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Kripin Malianda, 20, was abducted in March 2008. He spent a year with LRA commander Kodega. He was a soldier and a porter and escaped when sent to guard the rear during an attack. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Kripin Malianda, 20, was abducted in March 2008. He spent a year with LRA commander Kodega. He was a soldier and a porter and escaped when sent to guard the rear during an attack. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Basil Mbolifoye, 23, was abducted in July 2009 by 15 rebels who tied him to his basket. After a day of walking, he managed to release his hands and started to walk slowly until the guard. When he saw a thick bush, he dropped his load and ran. He was followed for many kilometers but managed to escape, as he knew the forest. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Artimis Levis, 19, was abducted in March 2008 and made to be a porter. He received military training and was with Kony and commanders Ngwen and Dominic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He escaped after an attack and was shipped to Dungu then Kinshasa and then to the CAR. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Boligasse Honore, 30, was taken from his home at night to Garamba park and forced to work for commander Opio. He escaped during an attack by the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) after an arial bombing, then spent 13 days in the bush on the run with no food. He arrived in Sudan and was put in jail for 6 months before being released after he was identified as an abductee. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Hortance Miainougote, 19, was the wife of Commander Abokelo and gave birth to his child. She was an eye witness to the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) bombing of Garamba Park and said that Kony knew of the attack several days before and asked the commanders to leave. She got the message the morning of the bombing but heard the bombs fall 300 meters away. Seven months pregnant, she started to run, but was captured by the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF). She gave birth to her child in Bunia before returning home. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Pelage Mbanganesse, 40, was abducted in July 2009. She and two of her children walked with the LRA for 48 hours, then were released. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Guy Roger Mongozimbale, 15, was abducted in 2008 and was with commander Binan in Democratic Republic of Congo. He was forced to work for a year and a half before escaping. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Paulen Miroujoue, 27, was a porter and was abducted in 2008 from his farm in the bush. He was Joseph Kony's gardener and grew his vegetables in Garamba Park until escaping a year later. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Eric Fiacre Gatejbere, 34, was abducted in March 2008. He was forced to be a porter at the beginning of his year and a half in the LRA. They later trusted him with a gun and guard duty. It was during his first guard duty alone that he escaped. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Ted Mamumangi, 14, was taken to Garamba and spent a year and four months training to be a soldier. He escaped when the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) attacked and shot his guard. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Marleine Solange Yagasaurana was 16 when she was abducted and became the wife of a commander she called Chopin, who had only one eye. She became pregnant and he beat her until the seventh month of her pregnancy, threatening to kill her many times. She gave birth in the bush, and considered trying to use magic to get rid of the baby but did not know how. She escaped during an LRA attack on a car in Sudan. The car had military inside; they counterattacked and she fled to the bush with the other soldiers, but they were injured and she managed to escape from them and found help in the nearest town. She is now raising the child in Obo and has been fully accepted back into the community. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.
Valantine Mbolibirani was 13 in July 2009 when she was abducted for seven months. Taken directly to Kony, she was forced to be one of his many wives. She was accused of sorcery and was going to be tried by Kony. She escaped the day before the trial after saving another woman's life by hiding her from the LRA. She lay naked in a field for two days and nights hiding from her attackers as they searched for her. When they left, she came out of the bush and found a 2 year old boy crying for his mother who had been abducted. She picked him up and walked naked to the nearest village in search of help. Image by Marcus Bleasdale. Central African Republic, 2010.

Lord's Resistance Army attacks have left many internally displaced in the Central African Republic. Pictured are former abductees. Read their stories.

RELATED CONTENT

Places We Run To: Central African Republic

October 20, 2010

RELATED TOPICS

Governance

Topic

Governance

Governance
Three women grouped together: an elderly woman smiling, a transwoman with her arms folded, and a woman holding her headscarf with a baby strapped to her back.

Topic

Gender Equality

Gender Equality
war and conflict reporting

Topic

War and Conflict

War and Conflict

Support our work

Your support ensures great journalism and education on underreported and systemic global issues

DONATE