[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 166 (Tuesday, October 30, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S13575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                          PRESIDENT'S MEETING

 Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, today President Bush is scheduled to 
meet with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. These heads of state have 
met before, but today's meeting comes at a pivotal time in Uganda's 
history.
  After more than 20 years of conflict in northern Uganda in which well 
over a million people have been displaced and tens of thousands of 
children abducted and terrorized, peace appears to be within reach. 
Talks between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army, 
LRA, have led to genuine improvements on the ground. However, there is 
still much more work to be done to ensure a lasting peace. The United 
States must become a more active peace partner with Uganda as it 
negotiates with the Lord's Resistance Army.
  The constructive mediation efforts of U.N. Special Envoy and former 
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano deserve sustained, high-level 
U.S. diplomatic support. Two issues will be particularly difficult. 
First, Ugandans themselves will have to balance the imperative to make 
peace with the clear need to hold accountable those responsible for the 
horrifying abuses of the past. Second, leaders need to keep a spotlight 
on the vast development needs of the traumatized north. Paper plans and 
grand announcements will not be enough--the Government of Uganda must 
be committed to the north's development, and the donor community, 
including the United States, must be prepared to offer real resources 
to help.
  Sadly, as negotiations to end the threat posed by the LRA continue, a 
different source of instability--- that of lawless militias in 
Karamoja, and the Ugandan military's often counter-productive, abusive 
response to them has prevented a more complete consolidation of 
security in the country. The Ugandan people can never achieve their 
full potential when they feel targeted by both their own military and 
marauding criminals.
  This visit to the White House follows by days a meeting between 
President Bush and President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of 
Congo. I hope President Bush uses both meetings to reassert U.S. 
support for regional dialogue and stabilization efforts. Uganda has an 
important part to play in ongoing efforts to bring lasting stability to 
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly through 
participation in the Tripartite Plus mechanism. The U.S. should 
continue to foster dialogue through that process.
  Uganda is a major contributor to the African Union's peacekeeping 
efforts in Somalia. But the undermanned AU peacekeeping contingent 
cannot succeed in the absence of a broader political and economic 
strategy to stabilize Somalia. Right now, the Ugandan peacekeepers are 
in the hot seat, and the rest of the world is failing to advance the 
peace process and deliver the support that they need. The United States 
has a responsibility to lead effectively on this issue. I hope that the 
two Presidents have a frank discussion about what needs to be done to 
advance peace in Somalia.
  Of course, Uganda is deservedly admired around the world for its 
early efforts to speak frankly and act effectively to fight HIV/AIDS, 
and I have no doubt that the ongoing fight against the pandemic as well 
as global efforts to combat malaria will be on the agenda for President 
Museveni's meeting. Recent reports have found that a disturbingly high 
percentage of Uganda's young people do not have accurate information 
about AIDS and about how to protect themselves. Because of its renown, 
Uganda has a special leadership role to play in this struggle. Frank 
talk is needed today more than ever.
  Finally, I hope that President Bush will convey to President Museveni 
the sincere sympathies of the people of the United States for those 
affected by the recent severe floods in Uganda. As Americans cope with 
the terrible wildfires in California, we are all especially sensitive 
to the devastating human consequences of natural disasters wherever 
they occur.

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