Obo , Central African Republic ( CNN ) -- The lush , green forests of central Africa have long been the playground and refuge of the continent 's most-notorious warlord , Joseph Kony . His Lord 's Resistance Army , which began with the aim of overthrowing the Ugandan government , has since spread to remote hinterlands on the borders of the Central African Republic , South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo . Though officials do n't know exactly where Kony is , U.S. troops have been sent to the area to help find and defeat the LRA leader . They have made progress . But as CNN has learned , much work remains to be done -- both to locate Kony and to restore a sense of stability and safety to the region . `` Kony is definitely still a threat . He 's been on the run . He 's on the decline , and in survival mode , but he is still dangerous and he 's going to be dangerous until the LRA are eliminated , '' said a captain with U.S. Special Forces . The captain , who CNN agreed not to identify because of concerns for his safety , spoke in Obo , a village in the Central African Republic . President Barack Obama directed the deployment of about 100 troops to central Africa last year to help hunt down leaders of the LRA . Distributed among four operating bases , they are advising regional forces . `` We help our partner nation forces ask the right questions -- the who , the what , the when , the where and the why -- to get all the information , '' the captain said . The LRA has been on the run since being scattered from a temporary base in Congolese territory by a botched 2008 U.S.-backed attack on Kony 's position , dubbed Operation Lightning Thunder . Since then , LRA attacks have killed 2,400 people and displaced 465,000 , according to Resolve Uganda , a nonprofit group that monitors LRA activity . Another 3,400 people have been abducted . Kony , who became a household name when a video about him went viral on the Internet this year , is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity . He and his group are accused of killing and maiming villagers , abducting children and turning them into soldiers or sex slaves . Madelaine Simbachalanio is considered one of the lucky ones . She was abducted by LRA soldiers , but released into the forest once they reached their base camp , she said . Miraculously -- exhausted and terrified -- she made her way home . Many of those taken with her were never seen or heard from again . Part of the difficulty in tracking Kony stems from the fact he can move freely across porous borders , and not all countries in the region have joined the chase , said Ugandan armed forces spokesman Col. Felix Kulayigye . He believes Kony is shuffling between Sudan and the Central African Republic . `` This is the strategy that he has used for the last four to five years . When the pressure is too much here , he runs across the border because he knows we are not allowed to go after him , '' Kulayigye said . `` Whenever pressure is high , he just switches to north Sudan . It hampers our operation . '' But a spokesman for the Sudanese information ministry denied the allegation . `` This is completely incorrect , '' said Rabi Abd al-Ati . `` We do n't accommodate rebels from Uganda or elsewhere . ... The LRA has no existence in our areas . '' Regardless of where Kony is , the hope is that the search to find him will not only lead to his capture , but also bring an end to the long , regional nightmare he unleashed . Despite the presence of troops , some people in Obo say they are still too afraid to sleep in their beds . They sleep in the yard , hiding in the undergrowth outside their houses , because they worry the LRA will come for them in the night . Reclaiming peoples ' lives from that fear is as much a part of the job as capturing Kony , said the Special Forces captain . `` I think this mission is a very worthwhile one , and it 's going to bring stability to a region that has been without stability for a long time . If we can do anything to help reduce the atrocities , and make the locals feel safe , then , I think , it 's definitely worthwhile , '' he said . Journalist Isma'il Kushkush contributed to this report .
Joseph Kony is head of the Lord 's Resistance Army . He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity . Kony became a household name after a video about him went viral on the Internet . President Barack Obama has sent troops to help chase down LRA leaders .