[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 402 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 402

 Condemning Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army for committing 
  crimes against humanity and mass atrocities, and supporting ongoing 
  efforts by the United States Government and governments in central 
Africa to remove Joseph Kony and Lord's Resistance Army commanders from 
                            the battlefield.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 21, 2012

 Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
Hatch, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Akaka, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
   Whitehouse, Mr. Tester, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Franken, Ms. 
Landrieu, Mr. Reed, Mr. Moran, Mr. Graham, Mr. Levin, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
   Isakson, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. McCain, Mr. Begich, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Wicker, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Coats, Mr. 
Cardin, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Blunt) submitted the following resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army for committing 
  crimes against humanity and mass atrocities, and supporting ongoing 
  efforts by the United States Government and governments in central 
Africa to remove Joseph Kony and Lord's Resistance Army commanders from 
                            the battlefield.

Whereas the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) wreaked havoc in northern Uganda for 
        two decades, during which time the World Bank estimates that they 
        abducted some 66,000 youth of all ages and sexes and forced them to 
        serve as child soldiers and sex slaves and commit terrible acts;
Whereas, under increasing pressure, Joseph Kony ordered the Lord's Resistance 
        Army in 2005 and 2006 to withdraw from Uganda and to move west into the 
        border region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central 
        African Republic, and what would become South Sudan;
Whereas, since September 2008, Joseph Kony has directed the Lord's Resistance 
        Army to commit systematic, large-scale attacks against innocent 
        civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African 
        Republic, and the Republic of South Sudan that have destabilized the 
        region and resulted in the deliberate killing of at least 2,400 
        civilians from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African 
        Republic, and the Republic of South Sudan, many of whom were targeted in 
        schools and churches; the rape and brutal mutilation of an unknown 
        number of men, women, and children; the abduction of over 3,400 
        civilians, including at least 1,500 children, many of them forced to 
        become child soldiers or sex slaves; and the displacement of more than 
        465,000 civilians from their homes, many of whom do not have access to 
        essential humanitarian assistance;
Whereas insecurity caused by the Lord's Resistance Army has undermined efforts 
        by the governments in the region, with the assistance of the United 
        States and the international community, to consolidate peace and 
        stability in each of the countries affected, particularly the Democratic 
        Republic of Congo and the Republic of South Sudan;
Whereas, since December 2001, the Department of State has included the Lord's 
        Resistance Army on its ``Terrorist Exclusion List'' and in August 2008, 
        Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony was designated a ``Specially 
        Designated Global Terrorist'' by President George W. Bush pursuant to 
        Executive Order 13224;
Whereas, on October 6, 2005, the International Criminal Court issued arrest 
        warrants against Joseph Kony and four of his top commanders for war 
        crimes and crimes against humanity, yet they remain at large;
Whereas, in May 2010, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law 
        the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act 
        of 2009 (Public Law 111-172), which made it the policy of the United 
        States to work with regional governments toward a comprehensive and 
        lasting resolution to the conflict in northern Uganda and other affected 
        areas by providing political, economic, military, and intelligence 
        support for viable multilateral efforts to protect civilians from the 
        Lord's Resistance Army, to apprehend or remove Joseph Kony and his top 
        commanders from the battlefield, and to disarm and demobilize the 
        remaining Lord's Resistance Army fighters;
Whereas, on November 24, 2010, as mandated by the Lord's Resistance Army 
        Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, President Obama 
        issued the Strategy to Support the Disarmament of the Lord's Resistance 
        Army, which provides a comprehensive strategy for supporting regional 
        efforts to mitigate and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional 
        stability posed by the Lord's Resistance Army;
Whereas, on October 14, 2011, President Obama notified Congress that he had 
        authorized approximately 100 combat-equipped members of the Armed Forces 
        to deploy to central Africa to provide assistance to regional forces 
        that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony and senior leadership 
        of the Lord's Resistance Army from the battlefield;
Whereas the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 
        112-81) authorized the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the 
        Secretary of State, to provide logistic support, supplies, and services 
        for foreign forces participating in operations to mitigate and eliminate 
        the threat of the Lord's Resistance Army;
Whereas the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74) directed 
        the President to support increased peace and security efforts in areas 
        affected by the Lord's Resistance Army, including programs to improve 
        physical access, telecommunications infrastructure, and early-warning 
        mechanisms and to support the disarmament, demobilization, and 
        reintegration of former Lord's Resistance Army combatants, especially 
        child soldiers;
Whereas the United Nations and African Union, acting with encouragement and 
        support from the United States Government, have renewed their efforts to 
        help governments in the region address the threat posed by the Lord's 
        Resistance Army, and on November 22, 2011, the African Union designated 
        the Lord's Resistance Army as a terrorist group and authorized a new 
        initiative to help strengthen the coordination among the affected 
        governments in the fight against the Lord's Resistance Army; and
Whereas targeted United States assistance and leadership can help prevent 
        further mass atrocities and curtail humanitarian suffering in central 
        Africa: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army for 
        committing crimes against humanity and mass atrocities, and 
        supports ongoing efforts by the United States and countries in 
        central Africa to remove Joseph Kony and Lord's Resistance Army 
        commanders from the battlefield;
            (2) commends continued efforts by the Governments of 
        Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of South 
        Sudan, the Central African Republic, and other counties in the 
        region, as well as the African Union and United Nations, to end 
        the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army;
            (3) welcomes the ongoing efforts of the United States 
        Government to implement a comprehensive strategy to counter the 
        Lord's Resistance Army, pursuant to the Lord's Resistence Army 
        Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, and to 
        assist governments in the region to bring Joseph Kony to 
        justice and end atrocities perpetuated by the Lord's Resistance 
        Army;
            (4) calls on the President to keep Congress fully informed 
        of the efforts of the United States Government and to work 
        closely with Congress to identify and address critical gaps and 
        enhance United States support for the regional effort to 
        counter the Lord's Resistance Army;
            (5) commends the Department of Defense, United States 
        Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM), and members of the United States 
        Armed Forces currently deployed to serve as advisors to the 
        national militaries in the region seeking to protect local 
        communities and pursuing Joseph Kony and top Lord's Resistance 
        Army commanders;
            (6) supports continued efforts by the Secretary of State 
        and representatives of the United States to work with partner 
        nations and the international community--
                    (A) to strengthen the capabilities of regional 
                military forces deployed to protect civilians and 
                pursue commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army;
                    (B) to enhance cooperation and cross-border 
                coordination among regional governments;
                    (C) to promote increased contributions from donor 
                nations for regional security and civilian efforts to 
                address the Lord's Resistance Army; and
                    (D) to enhance overall efforts to increase civilian 
                protection and provide assistance to populations 
                affected by the Lord's Resistance Army;
            (7) calls on the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
        Defense, the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development, and the heads of other government 
        agencies to utilize existing funds for ongoing programs--
                    (A) to enhance mobility, intelligence, and 
                logistical capabilities for partner forces engaged in 
                efforts to protect civilians and apprehend or remove 
                Joseph Kony and his top commanders from the 
                battlefield;
                    (B) to expand physical access and 
                telecommunications infrastructure to facilitate the 
                timely flow of information and access for humanitarian 
                and protection actors;
                    (C) to support programs to encourage and help non-
                indicted Lord's Resistance Army commanders, fighters, 
                abductees, and associated noncombatants to safely 
                defect from the group, including through radio and 
                community programs; and
                    (D) to rehabilitate children and youth affected by 
                war, which are tailored to address the specific trauma 
                and physical and mental abuse they may face as a result 
                of indoctrination by the Lord's Resistance Army, and 
                serve to reconnect these children and youth with their 
                families and communities;
            (8) calls for the President to place restrictions on any 
        individuals or governments found to be providing training, 
        supplies, financing, or support of any kind to Joseph Kony or 
        the Lord's Resistance Army;
            (9) urges that civilian protection continue to be 
        prioritized in areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army and 
        that steps be taken to inform potentially vulnerable 
        communities about known Lord's Resistance Army movements and 
        threats;
            (10) welcomes the recent defections of men, women, and 
        children from the ranks of the Lord's Resistance Army, and 
        calls on governments in the region and the international 
        community to continue to support safe return, demobilization, 
        rehabilitation, and reintegration efforts; and
            (11) urges the Governments of Uganda, the Democratic 
        Republic of Congo, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of 
        Sudan, and the Central African Republic to work together to 
        address the ongoing threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
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