VOA慢速英语2014 Money, Time Needed to Stop Lord’s Resistance Army

 

AS IT IS 2014-11-17 Money, Time Needed to Stop Lord’s Resistance Army

African Union officials say the AU is making progress in its fight against the Lord’s Resistance Group. But officials say they need more money to carry out the campaign. Without more resources, they say, the AU’s Regional Task Force may need more time to stop LRA leader Joseph Kony and his army.

The Lord’s Resistance Army was once known for seeking to overthrow¹ the government of Uganda and its president, Yoweri Musevenei. The LRA became famous for burning villages, kidnapping children and displacing thousands of people.

But a military officer says the formation of the regional task force weakened the guerrilla group. The task force has several bases in Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. All four countries offered troops for operations against the LRA. Lieutenant² General Samuel Karuma talks about efforts to stop the group.

“We’ve been reducing their strength; that is by killing³ some of them and capturing some of them. To the level of killing the number two in the hierarchy⁴ of their leadership and so many other top commanders, and some of the top commanders also have defected.”

LRA guerrillas started operating in South Sudan after the group was forced out of Uganda. Observers believe the LRA is now split into five main groups and operates mainly in the CAR and the DRC. The group hides food and other supplies there.

The task force countries promised a total of 5,000 soldiers. 2,000 from Uganda, and 1,000 from each of the other three countries. But a Ugandan commander says none of the countries has been able to provide the promised troops. Colonel Mike Kabagno heads the Uganda force in the CAR.

“As we speak now, Uganda is at 1,500. We were at 2,000, but (with) other commitments, we keep on going up and down. Central Africa, nil⁵. When (President Francois) Bozize was overthrown⁶, everyone fizzled out. DRC, 100, 500. It keeps up and down. South Sudan, the same thing. They have problems, so they have to come in and out. The figure now (is) 100, 200.”

Political unrest, violent conflict and a lack of resources prevented countries from sending the troops needed to fight the LRA.

The United States military is providing air support. The U.S. Africa Command, known as Africom, also provides training.

The African Union approved the task force, but did not provide an order or mandate⁷ for it. That means there is no financial support, and donors⁸ must provide everything needed.

General Karuma says there are many issues because the LRA fighters are always on the move.

“We need the mobility⁹. We need to cater¹⁰ for our troops for morale¹¹ purposes and other things that make the force to operate. And manpower. If we could get the original projected force of 5,000, yes. But now we are operating at about 2,000. And these countries are huge in terms of size.”

The Joint¹² Intelligence Operations Center collects and studies all information about the LRA. The center is based in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Agents gather intelligence from captured LRA fighters or from people who left the group. The LRA also released several women and children in August and September.  AU officials say this is another sign the group is getting weaker.

Intelligence reports suggest the LRA has changed from an active combat guerrilla group to one always running from the task force.

Captain Louis Charles is acting¹³ coordinator¹⁴ of the intelligence center. He says that even if the hunt for Joseph Kony proves successful, it will not necessarily mean the end of the LRA.

“If Kony is captured or killed, I think, that some soldiers, some fighters will surrender. But the groups, some were born in the forest. They will remain in the forest.”

Intelligence experts think the LRA has between 300 and 500 fighters. They say the group continues to earn money from sales of elephant ivory in the DRC. They say the fighters move freely in areas with small populations. Troops from the affected¹⁵ countries rarely inspect those areas.

Words in This Story

progress - n. movement forward or toward improvement or a goal

famous - adj. known very well to many people

split - v. to separate into two or more parts; to divide or break into parts

mandate - n. an official order to do something

combat – n. active fighting especially in a war

1 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

2 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

5 nil   

n.无，全无，零

参考例句：

• My knowledge of the subject is practically nil.我在这方面的知识几乎等于零。
• Their legal rights are virtually nil.他们实际上毫无法律权利。

6 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

7 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

8 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

10 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

11 morale   

n.道德准则，士气，斗志

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is sinking lower every day.敌军的士气日益低落。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

14 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

15 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。