ABSTRACT
The LRA serves as a suitably complex case study to test whether the concept of the balance of power will provide insights in describing and explaining the international relations of different types of armed groups. Whereas, the case of Somali armed groups was relatively straightforward since the state is obviously collapsed and the motivation of the actors to survive seems pretty clear-cut, the LRA on the other hand demands more of a detailed analysis because of its unclear motivations, fractured state status and confusing international relations. The group is notoriously difficult to classify, much less analyze.1 It has been variously referred to as an insurgency, millenarian cult, or terrorist group. The LRA is often thought to be a purely Ugandan insurgency, but in fact it is mostly based in Sudan and now the DRC the CAR. It attacks both Sudanese and Ugandan targets as well as the areas under the control of the SPLA.
