Nairobi — In our continuing expose of the atrocities of Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda, Daily Nation columnist and security expert AMBROSE MURUNGA gives a detailed account of three child fighters' nightmare. He also unmasks those behind the conflict. The main story was carried in yesterday's Outlook magazine.

Over the last decade, tens of thousands of children like Christine Akello, Patrick Oneka and George Opiyo have been forcibly recruited into Joseph Kony's rebel ranks.

Official figures show that since June 2002, over 17,000 children have escaped from the LRA and been processed through various rehabilitation centres in northern Uganda.

There are no reliable records of the number of children abducted since 1988 when Kony slithered onto the stage, taking over from his prophetess cousin, Alice Lakwena, and her father Severino. Unicef puts the figure at 25,000. But the district authorities in northern Uganda say it could be over 50,000.

They point out that numerous abducted children have died in captivity - shot or bombed on the battlefield, or killed by hunger and disease.

For many of these victims, their stories will never be told.

Christine Akello

"We first heard people screaming that LRA rebels were in the village. My father told us to lock ourselves in the house.

It was around 8pm. My father, his younger brother and my mother were at home. So, too, was James, my younger brother.

When the rebels came to our home, they shouted that we either open the door or they would burn down the house, with us in it. My father opened the door.

They first beat him up with clubs and the butts of the guns. When my uncle pleaded with them to stop, they beat him up as well.

The rebels rounded up 22 people from our village. My father, uncle and brother were tied with ropes and we were all ordered to march about.

I was given a heavy load to carry. It had food and other stores looted from the village shop.

My father was bleeding and appeared very weak from the beating. After walking a few kilometres, he collapsed. The commander of the rebels clubbed him on the head and told the rest that he was dead.

My uncle screamed and ran to help my father. The rebels got hold of my uncle and threw him to the ground. They called me over.

'We will show you people we are serious,' the commander said.

They gave me a club and ordered me to beat my uncle to death or they would do it themselves. Then they would kill my brother and I.

My brother was crying all this while. The commander hit me with a stick and shouted that I kill my uncle. I clubbed my uncle on the head until he died. The commander then told me, 'Now you have no one to go back to.' We continued the march.

We walked for two weeks, resting a few hours during the day and walking the whole night. We were joined by other groups. Those who slowed down were shot.

We ended up in southern Sudan, at a camp called Aruu. Later, we were relocated to another camp where Joseph Kony and his deputy, Vincent Otti, stayed.

All young girls were asked whether they had started having their monthly periods. We were taken to different huts, where older girl captives stayed.

I was put in Otti's compound. The following day, Joseph Kony addressed us and said our military training would start immediately.

We were taken through drills and weapons handling techniques. A week later, we were ordered to attack an SPLA camp with older rebels. My brother was shot dead in the fighting.

When we returned to the camp, Kony told the commanders that 'all new letters must be written today'. I had no idea what that meant.

Later, I learnt that all new girls had to be given out as wives that day. Otti earmarked me for his chief bodyguard. His name was Okot. He already had seven wives.

I was taken to Okot's hut that night. He raped me. I screamed and he took out his knife and threatened to slit my throat. He raped me several times that night.

In the morning, I could not walk. He dragged me from his hut and threw me outside. He called one of his older wives and told her that I was lazy and should be punished.

For three months, I would be taken to Okot's hut every night and he would rape me. Two years later, after I turned 14, I discovered I was pregnant.

I stayed with the LRA for five years. I fought against the SPLA and Uganda's army troops. I escaped in 2002 after a raid on a church in Kitgum, northern Uganda."

Patrick Onek

"I was 15 and my brother, Ojok Joseph, was 12.

The LRA struck my village shortly after dark. I got hold of my brother and ran into the bushes behind our house.

There were other rebels in the bushes on the lookout for those trying to escape. They grabbed us and tied us up.

We watched the LRA rebels torch houses and chase after fleeing villagers, either clubbing them to the ground or hacking them down with machetes.

The rebels then started rounding up all the girls and boys in the village. My brother and I were also brought forward. We were all tied up and ordered to march in the dark.

My brother could not keep up with the pace. He tried to escape but was captured.

LRA Colonel Lakati, who had led the raid, called a rebel commander by the name of Okuti and ordered him to kill Joseph.

Okuti called me. He told me to kill my younger brother. He handed me an axe.

I couldn't move. I just stared at my little brother. He was lying on the ground, his hands tied behind his back. He was crying and begging to be forgiven.

I started crying. The rebels shouted that I should hurry up or they would kill us both. They pointed their guns at me.

Other captives also shouted that I must obey the rebels or many of us would be killed. My brother screamed louder.

When Okuti drew his pistol and pointed it at me, I knew he was going to shoot. I lifted the axe and struck my brother on the head. He died instantly."

George Opiyo

"My mother was not at home when the LRA rebels came. I was with my father. It was just after 8pm.

The rebels ransacked our village and looted it. Some parents who had tried to protect their children were shot dead.

When they came to our hut, my father pleaded with them. 'Please, do not take my son. He is the only one I have.'

The rebels beat up my father and tied his hands behind his back. They marched us into the village square.

I stayed close to my father. He kept telling me not to be afraid. He said the rebels wouldn't harm us.

They started marching us off into the bushes. My father was in great pain. Every time he would try to tell me something, he would be beaten. He was bleeding from his head and mouth.

A few kilometres into the bush, the commander stopped the march. He ordered that my father be tied against a tree. I started crying. The commander came to me and said, 'You must decide which of you two will live: your father or you'.

He gave me his gun. He pointed it at my father. 'Shoot him,' he ordered.

I shook my head and refused to shoot my father. The commander then ordered that my father be untied. My father was then given the gun and ordered to shoot me. When he refused, the commander ordered the rebels to shoot us.

At that point, I screamed and said I would do it. I was given the gun. I aimed it at my father and fired. He died."