OFAC designates CAR Kony & Lord’s Resistance Army

The US has designated the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and its leader Joseph Kony under its sanctions relating to the Central African Republic. Joseph Kony, who was already designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the LRA are designated for involvement in the abduction and mutilation of thousands of civilians across central Africa, illicit trade in natural resources, sexual violence, murder, slavery, and the recruitment of child soldiers since the group was founded in 1987. OFAC estimates that 21,000 Central Africans and 3,200 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been displaced as a result of LRA violence. In the press release, Acting Director of OFAC John Smith stated that the sanctions support the Treasury’s “broader effort to dismantle this militia group and seek a more stable and secure future” for the CAR.