[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 412 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 412

 Commending the African Union for committing to a coordinated military 
 response, comprised of 5,000 troops from Uganda, the Central African 
 Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan, in order 
to fortify ongoing efforts to arrest Joseph Kony and senior commanders 
 of the Lord's Resistance Army and to stop the crimes against humanity 
                 and mass atrocities committed by them.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 29, 2012

    Ms. Landrieu (for herself and Mr. Brown of Ohio) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Commending the African Union for committing to a coordinated military 
 response, comprised of 5,000 troops from Uganda, the Central African 
 Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan, in order 
to fortify ongoing efforts to arrest Joseph Kony and senior commanders 
 of the Lord's Resistance Army and to stop the crimes against humanity 
                 and mass atrocities committed by them.

Whereas the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is one of Africa's oldest and most 
        violent armed groups, responsible for committing crimes against humanity 
        against civilian populations, including women and children, and believed 
        to be operating since 2006 in the Central African Republic, the 
        Democratic Republic of Congo, and what would become South Sudan;
Whereas the ongoing atrocities committed by LRA members target innocent 
        civilians, including women and children, and include abduction, murder, 
        mutilation, burning and looting of villages, and destruction of 
        communities and livelihoods, causing the massive displacement of human 
        populations and creating a humanitarian crisis;
Whereas the abduction of children and their forced conversion into LRA fighters 
        is an LRA hallmark and involves initiating children into combat through 
        brutal methods and brainwashing and subjects girls to forced sexual 
        slavery and servitude;
Whereas the governments of those countries most affected by the LRA's reign of 
        terror for over twenty years, including Uganda, the Central African 
        Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and what would become 
        Southern Sudan, are leading efforts, with international support, to 
        apprehend Kony and neutralize the LRA;
Whereas the African Union convened a regional ministerial meeting in October 
        2010 to bring together countries affected by the LRA, the United 
        Nations, and international partners to address the LRA threat and 
        promote humanitarian assistance and development aid to affected 
        populations, and subsequently authorized, in November 2011, the Regional 
        Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord's Resistance Army 
        (RCI-LRA), with a mission to strengthen the operational capabilities of 
        the affected countries and create an environment conducive to 
        stabilizing those areas;
Whereas, on March 5, 2012, the nonprofit organization Invisible Children 
        reinvigorated the national and global dialogue on the LRA and Kony by 
        engaging millions of young citizens via creative social media and 
        inspiring them to demand action and accountability of global leaders, 
        which in turn has mobilized leaders within and outside of the United 
        States Government in support of these concerns;
Whereas, on March 24, 2012, the African Union's Special Envoy for the LRA, 
        Francisco Madeira, and Head of the United Nations' Regional Office for 
        Central Africa, Abou Moussa, launched the operational phase of RCI-LRA 
        by formally announcing the planned deployment of up to 5,000 soldiers to 
        advance anti-LRA and anti-Kony efforts, and the next day formally 
        inaugurated the Headquarters of the Regional Task Force in South Sudan 
        to coordinate efforts to eliminate Kony and neutralize the LRA;
Whereas, in December 2008, Operation Lightning Thunder, a multinational effort, 
        failed to capture and kill Kony in northern Congo, and escaping LRA 
        fighters killed more than 800 civilians, abducted at least 160 children, 
        and pillaged villages en route to the Central African Republic in an 
        incident known as the Christmas Massacres, according to Human Rights 
        Watch; and
Whereas enhanced international and regional cooperation and coordination are 
        necessary to apprehend Kony and LRA leaders while protecting civilian 
        populations against devastating retaliatory attacks: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the African Union for committing to enhanced 
        troop deployments that will fortify the military response to 
        the Lord's Resistance Army, in coordination with the 
        Governments of Uganda, the Central African Republic, the 
        Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of South Sudan, 
        in order to strengthen ongoing efforts to arrest Joseph Kony 
        and senior commanders of the Lord's Resistance Army;
            (2) supports increasing collaboration and coordination 
        between the African Union and the Governments of Uganda, the 
        Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 
        the Republic of South Sudan so that together they may swiftly 
        and effectively implement RCI-LRA and bring Kony's criminal 
        spree to an end;
            (3) supports ongoing efforts by members of the United 
        States Armed Forces currently deployed to serve as advisors to 
        and partners of these national militaries and African Union 
        forces; and
            (4) supports continued efforts by the Secretary of State, 
        the Secretary of Defense, and other representatives of the 
        United States Government to work with partner nations and the 
        international community to strengthen the operational 
        capabilities of African Union and other regional military 
        forces deployed as part of RCI-LRA to protect civilians and 
        neutralize the leadership of the Lord's Resistance Army.
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