Uganda's civil war with Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army has raged since the 1980s, claiming over 100,000 lives and displacing around 1.5 million people. Kony's rebel force, who combine religious mysticism with extreme brutality, have abducted tens of thousands of children: their child soldiers. Their insurgency continues to this day, though most of us know little about it.

Norman Okello was only twelve when he was abducted by the LRA. In captivity, he was subjected to a ruthless training regime aimed at turning him into a killing machine free from conscience and fear. Forced to commit unspeakable acts of violence, Norman struggled not just to stay alive but to hold on to the last shreds of his humanity. When he finally escaped the clutches of the LRA, he faced his next ordeal: trying to reintegrate into a society that feared and despised him.

Harrowing, heart-rending and enlightening in equal measure, Boy Soldier is above all a story of survival and redemption against unbelievable odds.

Abducted and forced to fight with the Lord's Resistance Army at the age of twelve, Norman Okello describes a journey into inhumanity and back to forgiveness and love

About the Author

Norman Okello is a former child soldier from northern Uganda, abducted at the age of twelve by one of the most notoriously violent rebel forces in the world. Norman was forced to make brave and difficult choices that not only kept him alive, but also made him a role model to mankind on the ability to overcome hardship, overcome hatred, and live a fulfilling life centered on helping others and serving his community.

Dr Theo Hollander is a peacebuilding professional with over ten years of experience working with child soldiers, reintegration of combatants, transitional justice, and security. From 2011 to 2014, Theo was the research coordinator of a war documentation center based in Kitgum, northern Uganda where he documented hundreds of life stories of people affected by armed conflict. He currently lives and works in Myanmar as the Justice and Security adviser for the UK peacebuilding organization Saferworld.

Book Information
ISBN 9781783528110
Author Norman Okello
Format Hardback
Page Count 480
Imprint Unbound Digital
Publisher Unbound