All the Glimmering Stars

The Ugandan Civil War, sometimes referred to as the Ugandan Bush War, lasted from 1980 to 1986 in the African country of Uganda. The primary objective was to overthrow President Milton Obote, who ruled with the power of the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA). Although he was democratically elected, widespread claims of election fraud sparked the start of the Ugandan Civil War and the rise of several insurgency groups. The National Resistance Army (NRA) seized control in 1986 and placed Yoweri Museveni in power.

Following the end of the Ugandan Civil War, Uganda underwent decades of internal struggle during attempts to overthrow Museveni’s government. One of the primary opponents to Museveni’s rule for more than 20 years was the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), founded by Joseph Kony in 1987 to seize control of the government. As All the Glimmering Stars describes, one of Kony’s primary objectives was to establish a Christian state rooted in Biblical law. Anthony learns Kony’s “Ten Commandments” (79), which mirror their Biblical namesake in their focus on discouraging theft, murder, and sex—except when sanctioned by the LRA. Kony claimed that he was blessed by the Lord and possessed by several spirits, giving him a mythical quality that instilled fear in those who sought to challenge him.

Central to Kony’s movement was the kidnapping, enslavement, and forced militarism of tens of thousands of Ugandan children. Although the exact figure is unknown, it’s believed that Kony and the LRA kidnapped more than 60,000 children and “more than 800,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), or approximately 70 percent of the population of Acholiland” (“Abducted and Abused: Renewed War in Northern Uganda.” Human Rights Watch). The novel portrays the atrocities of Kony and the LRA through the eyes of Anthony and Florence, as they’re kidnapped from their homes, forced to march hundreds of kilometers with little food or water, and brutally conscripted into Kony’s army. In particular, the novel highlights the LRA’s use of fear tactics (including beatings, death, and warnings of exclusion from society if they try to return). Anthony’s journey gives insight into how Kony successfully kidnapped and controlled so many children. Anthony constantly faces an internal struggle over how to reconcile what he’s forced to do with remaining a good person—and, above all, how to survive.

Today, Kony is still believed to be in exile as the LRA continues to operate, though with severely depleted numbers since the early 2000s. The LRA has been designated as a terrorist group, and several nations—including the US—have provided aid to Uganda in its efforts toward stabilization. The United Nations addressed the situation, as “in 2005, arrest warrants were issued for Joseph Kony and four other LRA commanders by the International Criminal Court” (Allen, Tim. “Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army.” African History), and Kony was indicted on “36 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity” (“Case Information Sheet: The Prosecutor v. Joseph Kony.” International Criminal Court).

Toward the end of All the Glimmering Stars, Anthony sees the beginning of the LRA’s collapse. Fearing capture, Kony repeatedly hides in exile rather than reuniting and rebuilding his army. The Arabs that Kony relied on for much of his reign pull their support, and the Sudanese and Ugandan governments work together more closely to root out the LRA. After Anthony begins broadcasting on the radio, hundreds more soldiers leave the LRA, and Kony flees from both Uganda and the Sudan.