[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 11 (Thursday, February 2, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S692-S695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL WEEK OF PRAYER FOR UGANDA

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 366, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 366) affirming the importance of 
     increased international action and a national week of prayer 
     for the Ugandan victims of Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance 
     Army, and expressing the sense of the Senate that Sudan, 
     Uganda, and the international community bring justice and 
     humanitarian assistance to Northern Uganda and that February 
     2 through 9, 2006 should be designated as a national week of 
     prayer and reflection for the people of Uganda.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I want to speak about a matter of urgency 
and extreme concern to me that is going on right now in Uganda.
  As my colleagues may know, I have spent much time in Africa, 
particularly in Uganda, talking with President Museveni.
  The major issue that he and I discussed is the ongoing terrorist 
tragedy in his country. The Lord's Resistance Army, LRA, is a rebel 
paramilitary group formed in 1987 operating mainly in northern Uganda 
and southern Sudan. The group is engaged in an armed rebellion against 
the Ugandan

[[Page S693]]

Government in what is now one of Africa's longest-running conflicts.
  It is led by a man named Joseph Kony who claims to be a spiritual 
medium and uses his influence to kidnap and murder thousands of 
innocent civilians, most of them children. Because of this twisted man 
and his army, the region has become one of the darkest spots of human 
atrocities worldwide.
  Between 20,000 and 50,000 children have been kidnapped by the LRA for 
use as soldiers and sex slaves.
  More than 1.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes, 
living in Internally Displaced People, IDP, camps. Every week 1,000 
people die in the camps from the appalling conditions.
  Though the Internally Displaced People camps were meant to provide 
security against the LRA attacks, they are now where most abductions 
take place.
  It is estimated 40,000 children flee every night to bigger towns, 
seeking the safety in numbers, sleeping on street corners and in other 
public spaces. I recently saw a documentary on this titled ``Invisible 
Children.''
  Up to 200,000 people have been killed in the violence, with many more 
dying from disease and malnutrition as a direct result of the conflict.
  The conflict continues to retard Uganda's development efforts, 
costing the poor country's economy a cumulative total of at least $1.33 
billion, which is equivalent to 3 percent of Uganda's GDP.
  Last night, in his State of the Union address, President Bush 
declared we must, ``take the offensive by encouraging economic 
progress, and fighting disease, and spreading hope in hopeless lands.'' 
He is absolutely right. We can no longer allow these atrocities in 
Uganda to go unnoticed and unaddressed; we must become more involved.
  To that end I am supporting a resolution, S. Res. 366.
  Further, I will include for the Record a letter to Secretary of State 
Rice signed by 34 organizations. This letter urges high-level attention 
to the situation in northern Uganda.
  I will also include the text of United Nations Security Council, 
UNSC, Resolution 1653 dated January 27, 2006. This resolution 
``strongly condemns'' the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army. The 
Resolution also reiterates the Security Council's demand ``that all 
such armed groups lay down their arms and engage voluntarily and 
without any delay or preconditions in their disarmament and in their 
repatriation and resettlement.''
  UNSC Resolution 1653 ``[r]equests the Secretary-General to make 
recommendations to the Council, as appropriate, on how best to support 
efforts by States in the region to put an end to the activities of 
illegal armed groups, and to recommend how United Nations agencies and 
missions--the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), MONUC and 
ONUB--can help, including through further support for the efforts of 
the governments concerned to ensure protection of, and humanitarian 
assistance to, civilians in need.''
  These words are long overdue, and are only the beginning. Thus far 
the action of the United Nations has been woefully inadequate. Words 
are not nearly enough. We need more action from the UN. If the United 
Nations is to be useful for the peoples of the world, this sort of 
problem is its highest and best use.
  As for the role of the United States, I suggest that Secretary Rice 
and Permanent Representative Bolton actively engage in drafting the 
aforementioned recommendations to the Security Council.
  I also strongly suggest to President Bush and our administration that 
they examine every aspect of his executive authority to relieve this 
suffering, including the new authorities Congress provided under 
Section 1206 of Public Law 109-163, the train-and-equip legislation.
  I believe these will be significant steps toward shedding light into 
the darkness that has cloaked the ongoing Ugandan tragedy, ending the 
conflict, and drawing the region into a positive future. I ask members 
for their support and thank the dozens of Senators who have joined me 
as cosponsors of this bipartisan resolution.
  Let us pray for a cessation of the horrors and evils in Uganda and 
the Sudan.
  I ask unanimous consent to print the above-referenced documents in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:
                                                 January 30, 2006.
     Re Crisis in Northern Uganda

     Dr. Condoleezza Rice,
     Secretary of State, Department of State,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Rice: We, the undersigned organizations call 
     on the U.S. government to dedicate high-level attention to 
     the situation in northern Uganda in order to help bring an 
     end to the intractable conflict and catastrophic humanitarian 
     conditions.
       As you know, for the past 20 years, the people of northern 
     Ugandan have endured a conflict involving the rebel Lord's 
     Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda. More than 
     1.7 million people--eighty percent of the population--are 
     displaced and forced to live in squalid internally displaced 
     persons (IDP) camps. These camps remain largely unprotected 
     and vulnerable to LRA attacks and abductions. The LRA has 
     kidnapped more than 30,000 children from their homes--holding 
     them hostage as soldiers, sex slaves, and bondservants. An 
     estimated 35,000 children commute nightly to sleep in town 
     centers in order to avoid violence and abduction. 
     Nonetheless, these children, known as ``night commuters'', 
     remain vulnerable to exploitation and sexual and physical 
     abuse.
       This deplorable humanitarian and human rights situation is 
     the result of an ongoing conflict that continues to be a 
     cause of instability in southern Sudan and, now, the broader 
     Great Lakes. Threats to regional security are growing: the 
     LRA has expanded its area of operation deeper into southern 
     Sudan and, for the first time, into the Democratic Republic 
     of the Congo (DRC). LRA attacks against southern Sudanese 
     civilians threaten implementation of the Comprehensive Peace 
     Agreement (CPA), and recent LRA incursions into the DRC have 
     heightened existing tensions between the Ugandan and 
     Congolese governments. Within this context of increasing 
     regional instability, multiple actors regrettably continue to 
     provide covert support to the LRA.
       Establishing a secure environment requires urgent 
     leadership from the U.S. Government to put in place a 
     comprehensive regional approach that addresses LRA cross-
     border movements and prioritizes a resolution to the 
     conflict, while simultaneously ensuring civilian protection, 
     humanitarian access, and the reintegration of former 
     combatants. To reduce civilian suffering, help consolidate 
     peace in Sudan, and prevent further destabilization of the 
     region, our organizations recommend the following actions:

                 United Nations Security Council Action

       The continued presence of the Lord's Resistance Army in 
     southern Sudan and its recent expansion into the DRC 
     underscores the urgency for United Nations Security Council 
     (UNSC) engagement. Under Secretary-General Jan Egeland's 
     December 19, 2005 briefing on the humanitarian situation and 
     the passage of UNSC Res. 1653 are welcome first steps towards 
     engaging the Security Council on this issue, but greater 
     action is required. We urge the US to take a leadership role 
     at the United Nations to place northern Uganda on the UNSC 
     agenda. The February 2006 US presidency of the UNSC would be 
     an opportune time to galvanize action on this important 
     issue. Specifically, the UN should do the following:
       Continued encouragement and support for a regional solution 
     to disarming groups within eastern DRC, Uganda, and southern 
     Sudan. With the UNMIS mandate up for renewal in March, the 
     United States should call on all relevant actors to 
     accelerate the deployment of UNMIS and ensure that threats to 
     civilians and disruption of humanitarian aid addresses the 
     destabilizing presence of the LRA. Continued consideration 
     should be given to the recommendations of the regional 
     Tripartite Commission on Disarming groups in eastern DRC.
       Appoint a Special UN Envoy for Northern Uganda who will 
     work collaboratively with all local, regional, and 
     international stakeholders to help mediate between all 
     parties to end the conflict.
       Create a panel of experts to investigate and monitor the 
     activities of the LRA, as well as the networks supporting the 
     LRA, and its impact on regional peace and security.
       Call on all parties to declare an immediate ceasefire; 
     encourage greater international diplomatic and financial 
     support for on-going mediation efforts, while ensuring a 
     coordinated response to LRA activity in the area.
       Call on the government of Uganda, in accordance with its 
     national IDP policy, to adopt a security strategy that 
     focuses on protection rather than confrontation, prioritizes 
     civilian and aid convoy protection, and holds protection 
     personnel accountable for crimes they commit.

                   Direct U.S. Support for Mediation

       After 20 years of conflict, military victory is unlikely. 
     Recent overtures made by the LRA leadership to negotiate are 
     promising and greater international political pressure on all 
     parties is needed to explore a peaceful solution. 
     Approximately ninety percent of the LRA is comprised of 
     children; further military aggression against the LRA only 
     serves to inflict more violence upon these

[[Page S694]]

     children. Former Ugandan Government Minister Betty Bigombe's 
     mediation efforts deserve greater U.S. support. Accordingly, 
     we strongly recommend that the State Department appoint a 
     senior level advisor to coordinate efforts within the U.S. 
     government, among the donors, and ensure that greater 
     resources and material support are available for Bigombe as a 
     negotiation strategy is developed.

           Protection for Civilians and Humanitarian Workers

       Efforts to protect civilians have languished and high-level 
     involvement by the international community is needed. Eighty 
     percent of the population is displaced and primarily 
     dependent on limited international food assistance and 
     services. The delegation of civilian protection and 
     humanitarian worker security to local defense units (LDUs) 
     both hinders humanitarian access and leaves IDPs vulnerable 
     to LRA attacks. For example, at times LDU personnel have been 
     inebriated while escorting humanitarian agencies, or 
     sometimes have refused to provide escort unless provided with 
     food. This gap in protection significantly hinders relief 
     efforts and the population's ability to access employment, 
     basic healthcare and education. Through US leadership, donor 
     governments must work with the Ugandan government to devise a 
     security strategy that prioritizes civilian protection 
     instead of confrontational operations. This strategy must 
     expand the area of protection around IDP camps to allow for 
     greater civilian movement, so that the displaced can gain 
     access to basic services and income generating opportunities.

     Disarmament, Demobilization & Reintegration (DDR) Enhancement

       In coordination with the government of Uganda, donors must 
     develop and enact a comprehensive plan to draw LRA fighters 
     out of this conflict and back into the community. Donors must 
     provide adequate funding for DDR, including support for 
     communities and children abducted by the LRA.
       To conclude, we firmly believe that high-level engagement 
     and sustained leadership by the United States will help bring 
     an end to this conflict, which traps millions of children and 
     families in despair and threatens ongoing peaceful 
     transitions in Sudan and the DRC. We look forward to hearing 
     from you about the Administration's plans to address this 
     conflict.
       Sincerely,
         Africa Action, Africa Faith and Justice Network, 
           Africare, Air Serv International, American Refugee 
           Committee, CARE USA, Christian Children's Fund, Comboni 
           Missionaries, Concern Worldwide US, Credo 
           International, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, 
           Washington Office, Franciscans International, Friends 
           Committee on National Legislation (Quakers), Gulu Walk 
           International, Human Rights Watch, International 
           Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Joan B. 
           Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San 
           Diego, Lutheran WorId Relief, MAP International, 
           Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Mercy Corps, 
           Missionary Oblates, The NAME Campaign, National 
           Association of Evangelicals, National Jesuit 
           Conference, Oxfam America, Refugees International, Save 
           the Children, Today's Urban Renewal Network, Uganda 
           Cpnflict Action Network, US Catholic Mission 
           Association, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and 
           Children, World Vision.
                                  ____


Resolution 1653 (2006)--Adopted by the United Nations Security Council 
               at Its 5359th Meeting, on 27 January 2006

       The Security Council, Recalling its resolutions and the 
     statements by its President on the Great Lakes region of 
     Africa and concerning the situation in the Democratic 
     Republic of the Congo and in Burundi, and in particular 
     resolutions 1649 and 1650 of 21 December 2005,
       Recalling its resolution 1625 (2005) on strengthening the 
     effectiveness of the Security Council and the role of civil 
     society in the prevention and resolution of armed conflict, 
     particularly in Africa,
       Further recalling its resolution 1631 (2005) on cooperation 
     between the United Nations and regional organizations and 
     General Assembly resolution 59/213 (2004) on cooperation 
     between the United Nations and the African Union,
       Reaffirming its respect for the sovereignty, territorial 
     integrity, unity and political independence of all States in 
     the region, and recalling the importance of the principles of 
     good-neighbourliness, non-interference and cooperation in the 
     relations among States in the region,
       Reiterating its condemnation of the genocide in Rwanda of 
     1994 and the armed conflicts which have plagued the Great 
     Lakes region of Africa in the past decade and expressing its 
     profound concern at the violations of human rights and 
     international humanitarian law resulting in wide scale loss 
     of life, human suffering and destruction of property,
       Aware that the link between the illegal exploitation of 
     natural resources, the illicit trade in those resources and 
     the proliferation and trafficking of arms is one of the 
     factors fuelling and exacerbating conflicts in the Great 
     Lakes region of Africa, and especially in the Democratic 
     Republic of the Congo,
       Expressing its deep concern at the devastating impact of 
     conflict and insecurity on the humanitarian situation 
     throughout the Great Lakes region and their implications for 
     regional peace and security, especially where arms and armed 
     groups move across borders, such as the long-running and 
     brutal insurgency by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in 
     northern Uganda which has caused the death, abduction and 
     displacement of thousands of innocent civilians in Uganda, 
     the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
       Welcoming the efforts undertaken by the Tripartite Plus 
     Joint Commission comprising Burundi, the Democratic Republic 
     of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda as a significant contribution 
     to heightened dialogue between the countries of the Great 
     Lakes,
       Recalling its previous resolutions that reaffirmed the 
     importance of holding an international conference on peace, 
     security and stability in the Great Lakes region and 
     recognizing the continued ownership of the process by the 
     countries of the region with the facilitation of the United 
     Nations, the African Union, the Group of Friends and all 
     others concerned,
       Taking note with satisfaction of the holding of the First 
     International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and 
     Development in the Great Lakes Region, in Dar es Salaam, on 
     19 and 20 November 2004,
       Recognizing the ``Good Neighbourly Declaration'' of 
     September 2003 by the representatives of Burundi, the 
     Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda and the 
     Dar es Salaam Declaration of 2004 adopted by the first Summit 
     of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region,
       Recognizing the significant achievements and progress in 
     the peace processes in the Great Lakes region, the recent 
     installation of a democratically elected government in 
     Burundi and progress in the transition to democratic 
     institutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
       Expressing its gratitude to the United Nations Organization 
     Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and 
     to the United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB) for their 
     significant contribution to peace in the region,
       Paying tribute to the donor community for the assistance it 
     is providing to the countries in the region, and encouraging 
     it to maintain that assistance,
       Welcoming General Assembly resolution 60/1 on the 2005 
     World Summit Outcome and in particular the commitment to 
     address the special needs of Africa,
       1. Commends the positive role played by the Secretary-
     General, the African Union, the Group of Friends of the Great 
     Lakes region and other stakeholders in organizing and 
     participating in the First Summit of the International 
     Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in 
     the Great Lakes Region of Africa;
       2. Urges the countries of the Great Lakes region to 
     continue in their collective efforts to develop a subregional 
     approach for promoting good relations, peaceful coexistence, 
     peaceful resolution of disputes as envisaged in the Dar es 
     Salaam Declaration and encourages them, in partnership with 
     the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and other 
     stakeholders, to finalize the preparations for the second 
     Summit to be held in Nairobi, including a clear focus on 
     peace and security issues, with a view to adopting a 
     Security, Stability and Development Pact for the countries of 
     the Great Lakes region;
       3. Calls upon the countries of the region to agree on 
     confidence-building measures based on effective and concrete 
     actions;
       4. Encourages and supports the countries of the Great Lakes 
     region, individually and collectively, to strengthen and 
     institutionalize respect for human rights and humanitarian 
     law, including respect for women's rights and protection of 
     children affected by armed conflict, good governance, rule of 
     law, democratic practices as well as development cooperation;
       5. Encourages the development of the prevailing goodwill 
     and relations among the countries of the region which have 
     positively influenced the successful transition in Burundi 
     and the course of the ongoing democratic transition in the 
     Democratic Republic of the Congo;
       6. Urges all States concerned to take action to bring to 
     justice perpetrators of grave violations of human rights and 
     international humanitarian law and to take appropriate 
     measures of international cooperation and judicial assistance 
     in this regard;
       7. Expresses its support for the efforts by States in the 
     region to build independent and reliable national judicial 
     institutions in order to put an end to impunity;
       8. Strongly condemns the activities of militias and armed 
     groups operating in the Great Lakes region such as the Forces 
     Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), the Palipehutu-
     Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL) and the Lord's 
     Resistance Army (LRA) which continue to attack civilians and 
     United Nations and humanitarian personnel and commit human 
     rights abuses against local populations and threaten the 
     stability of individual States and the region as a whole and 
     reiterates its demand that all such armed groups lay down 
     their arms and engage voluntarily and without any delay or 
     preconditions in their disarmament and in their repatriation 
     and resettlement;
       9. Stresses the need for the States in the region, within 
     their respective territories, to

[[Page S695]]

     disarm, demobilize and cooperate in the repatriation or 
     resettlement, as appropriate, of foreign armed groups and 
     local militias, and commends in this regard the robust action 
     of MONUC, acting in accordance with its mandate, in support 
     of the Forces Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo 
     (FARDC) in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the 
     Congo;
       10. Underscores that the governments in the region have a 
     primary responsibility to protect their populations, 
     including from attacks by militias and armed groups and 
     stresses the importance of ensuring the full, safe and 
     unhindered access of humanitarian workers to people in need 
     in accordance with international law;
       11. Calls upon all States in the region to deepen their 
     cooperation with a view to putting an end to the activities 
     of illegal armed groups, and underlines that these States 
     must abide by their obligations under the Charter of the 
     United Nations to refrain from the threat or use of force 
     against the territorial integrity or political independence 
     of their neighbours;
       12. Urges the international community, non-governmental 
     organizations and civil society to increase humanitarian 
     assistance to civilians affected by displacements and 
     violence from years of protracted conflicts in the Great 
     Lakes region;
       13. Commends the efforts of the United Nations Organization 
     Missions in the region in accordance with their respective 
     mandates, to protect civilians, including humanitarian 
     personnel, to enable delivery of humanitarian aid and to 
     create the necessary conditions for the voluntary return of 
     refugees and internally displaced persons;
       14. Requests the Secretary-General to make recommendations 
     to the Council, as appropriate, on how best to support 
     efforts by States in the region to put an end to the 
     activities of illegal armed groups, and to recommend how 
     United Nations agencies and missions--the United Nations 
     Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), MONUC and ONUB--can help, 
     including through further support for the efforts of the 
     governments concerned to ensure protection of, and 
     humanitarian assistance to, civilians in need;
       15. Calls upon the countries of the region to continue in 
     their efforts to create conducive conditions for voluntary 
     repatriation, safe and durable integration of refugees and 
     former combatants in their respective countries of origin. In 
     this regard, calls for commensurate international support for 
     refugees and reintegration and reinsertion of returnees, 
     internally displaced persons and former combatants;
       16. Calls upon the countries of the region to reinforce 
     their cooperation with the Security Council's Committee and 
     with the Group of Experts established by resolution 1533 
     (2004) in enforcing the arms embargo in the Democratic 
     Republic of the Congo and to combat cross-border trafficking 
     of illicit small arms, light weapons and illicit natural 
     resources as well as the movement of combatants, and 
     reiterates its demand that the Governments of Uganda, Rwanda, 
     the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi take 
     measures to prevent the use of their respective territories 
     in support of the activities of armed groups present in the 
     region;
       17. Urges the governments concerned in the region to 
     enhance their cooperation to promote lawful and transparent 
     exploitation of natural resources among themselves and in the 
     region;
       18. Welcomes the establishment of the Peacebuilding 
     Commission and underlines its potential importance to the 
     work of the Security Council in this region;
       19. Invites the international community, including regional 
     organizations, international financial institutions and 
     relevant bodies of the United Nations system, to support and 
     complement the peacebuilding and development initiatives 
     required to sustain peace, security and stability in the 
     countries of the Great Lakes region;
       20. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 366) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 366

       Whereas, Joseph Kony has led the Lord's Resistance Army 
     (LRA) since 1987, terrorizing the region of Northern Uganda;
       Whereas, up to 200,000 people have been killed in violent 
     conflict and from disease and malnutrition;
       Whereas, 80 to 90 percent of Kony's fighters are enslaved 
     children--brutalized and brainwashed to kill;
       Whereas, sources estimate that between 20,000 and 50,000 
     children have been abducted by the LRA since 1987;
       Whereas, these children are sexually abused, raped, beaten, 
     taunted and traumatized by older soldiers in the LRA;
       Whereas, these children are maliciously coerced to 
     mutilate, rape, and murder others, even their own family 
     members and friends;
       Whereas, LRA leaders often force the friends and siblings 
     of unsuccessful escapees to carry out vicious punishments to 
     further the LRA's culture of fear, intimidation and guilt;
       Whereas, even those children who do manage to escape are 
     unspeakably traumatized, often infected with sexually 
     transmitted diseases, and stigmatized by society;
       Whereas, approximately 40,000 children in rural Uganda trek 
     miles into towns each night to sleep under the protection of 
     soldiers and attempt to avoid capture;
       Whereas, more than 1.6 million people have been forced to 
     flee their homes;
       Whereas, the conflict has slowed Uganda's development 
     efforts, costing the country at least $1.33 billion, or 3 
     percent of its GDP;
       Whereas, starting in October 2005, the Sudan government 
     gave Joseph Kony a three month grace period to surrender;
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate--
       (1) That the government of Sudan continue to prosecute LRA 
     terrorists within its borders and aid Uganda in ending the 
     conflict;
       (2) That Uganda use every available resource to end the 
     atrocities of the LRA and bring its members to justice;
       (3) That the United States and international community 
     recognize the atrocities occurring daily in Uganda and 
     provide necessary humanitarian assistance;
       (4) That the week of February 2 through 9, 2006 should be 
     designated as a National Week of Prayer and Reflection for 
     the people of Northern Uganda.

                          ____________________