Decline in LRA Mass Attacks in Congo

As LRA fighting capacity in Congo has diminished and they have become more averse to the risks of committing highly publicized mass killings or abductions, the number of mass LRA attacks in Congo has consistently dropped, ranging from 63 in 2009 to just one in the first six months of 2013 (see graph above). LRA attack patterns have shifted to include primarily small-scale looting raids in which few, if any, people are abducted or killed — LRA forces did not kill or abduct any civilians in nearly half of their 65 attacks in Congo from January 2012–June 2013. LRA mass attacks in Congo have declined faster than those in CAR, where mass abductions have persisted in recent years (see graph below).