[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1409-S1412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY DISARMAMENT AND NORTHERN UGANDA RECOVERY ACT OF
2009
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed
to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 228, S. 1067.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1067) to support stabilization and lasting peace
in northern Uganda and areas affected by the Lord's
Resistance Army through development of a regional strategy to
support multilateral efforts to successfully protect
civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's
Resistance Army and to authorize funds for humanitarian
relief and reconstruction, reconciliation, and transitional
justice, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill
(S. 1067) to support stabilization and lasting peace in northern Uganda
and areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army through development of
a regional strategy to support multilateral efforts to successfully
protect civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's
Resistance Army and to authorize funds for humanitarian relief and
reconstruction, reconciliation, and transitional justice, and for other
purposes, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause
and insert in lieu thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lord's Resistance Army
Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) For over 2 decades, the Government of Uganda engaged in
an armed conflict with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in
northern Uganda that led to the internal displacement of more
than 2,000,000 Ugandans from their homes.
(2) The members of the Lord's Resistance Army used brutal
tactics in northern Uganda, including mutilating, abducting
and forcing individuals into sexual servitude and forcing a
large number of children and youth in Uganda, estimated by
the Survey for War Affected Youth to be over 66,000, to fight
as part of the rebel force.
[[Page S1410]]
(3) The Secretary of State has placed the Lord's Resistance
Army on the Terrorist Exclusion list pursuant to section
212(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1182(a)(3)), and LRA leader Joseph Kony has been designated a
``specially designated global terrorist'' pursuant to
Executive Order 13224.
(4) In late 2005, according to the United Nations Office
for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Lord's
Resistance Army shifted their primary base of operations from
southern Sudan to northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo,
and the rebels have since withdrawn from northern Uganda.
(5) Representatives of the Government of Uganda and the
Lord's Resistance Army began peace negotiations in 2006,
mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan in Juba, Sudan,
and signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement on August
20, 2006, which provided for hundreds of thousands of
internally displaced people to return home in safety.
(6) After nearly 2 years of negotiations, representatives
from the parties reached the Final Peace Agreement in April
2008, but Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance
Army, refused to sign the Final Peace Agreement in May 2008
and his forces launched new attacks in northeastern Congo.
(7) According to the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Relief and the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, the new activity of the
Lord's Resistance Army in northeastern Congo and southern
Sudan since September 2008 has led to the abduction of at
least 1,500 civilians, including hundreds of children, and
the displacement of more than 540,000 people.
(8) In December 2008, the military forces of Uganda, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and southern Sudan launched a
joint operation against the Lord's Resistance Army's bases in
northeastern Congo, but the operation failed to apprehend
Joseph Kony, and his forces retaliated with a series of new
attacks and massacres in Congo and southern Sudan, killing an
estimated 900 people in 2 months alone.
(9) Despite the refusal of Joseph Kony to sign the Final
Peace Agreement, the Government of Uganda has committed to
continue reconstruction plans for northern Uganda, and to
implement those mechanisms of the Final Peace Agreement not
conditional on the compliance of the Lord's Resistance Army.
(10) Since 2008, recovery efforts in northern Uganda have
moved forward with the financial support of the United States
and other donors, but have been hampered by a lack of
strategic coordination, logistical delays, and limited
leadership from the Government of Uganda.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is 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--
(1) 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 in the continued absence of a negotiated
solution, and to disarm and demobilize the remaining Lord's
Resistance Army fighters;
(2) targeting assistance to respond to the humanitarian
needs of populations in northeastern Congo, southern Sudan,
and Central African Republic currently affected by the
activity of the Lord's Resistance Army; and
(3) further supporting and encouraging efforts of the
Government of Uganda and civil society to promote
comprehensive reconstruction, transitional justice, and
reconciliation in northern Uganda as affirmed in the Northern
Uganda Crisis Response Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-283) and
subsequent resolutions, including Senate Resolution 366,
109th Congress, agreed to February 2, 2006, Senate Resolution
573, 109th Congress, agreed to September 19, 2006, Senate
Concurrent Resolution 16, 110th Congress, agreed to in the
Senate March 1, 2007, and House Concurrent Resolution 80,
110th Congress, agreed to in the House of Representatives
June 18, 2007.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT OF A STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE DISARMAMENT
OF THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.
(a) Requirement for Strategy.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President
shall develop and submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a strategy to guide future United States support
across the region for viable multilateral efforts to mitigate
and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability
posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
(b) Content of Strategy.--The strategy shall include the
following:
(1) A plan to help strengthen efforts by the United Nations
and regional governments to protect civilians from attacks by
the Lord's Resistance Army while supporting the development
of institutions in affected areas that can help to maintain
the rule of law and prevent conflict in the long term.
(2) An assessment of viable options through which the
United States, working with regional governments, could help
develop and support multilateral efforts to eliminate the
threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
(3) An interagency framework to plan, coordinate, and
review diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military
elements of United States policy across the region regarding
the Lord's Resistance Army.
(4) A description of the type and form of diplomatic
engagement across the region undertaken to coordinate and
implement United States policy regarding the Lord's
Resistance Army and to work multilaterally with regional
mechanisms, including the Tripartite Plus Commission and the
Great Lakes Pact.
(5) A description of how this engagement will fit within
the context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the
Great Lakes Region.
(c) Form.--The strategy under this section shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
SEC. 5. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS OUTSIDE UGANDA
AFFECTED BY THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.
(a) Authority.--In accordance with section 491 of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292) and section 2
of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22
U.S.C. 2601), the President is authorized to provide
additional assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo,
southern Sudan, and Central African Republic to respond to
the humanitarian needs of populations directly affected by
the activity of the Lord's Resistance Army.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2011 to carry
out this section.
SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE FOR RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION IN
NORTHERN UGANDA.
(a) Authority.--It is the sense of Congress that the
President should support efforts by the people of northern
Uganda and the Government of Uganda--
(1) to assist internally displaced people in transition and
returnees to secure durable solutions by spurring economic
revitalization, supporting livelihoods, helping to alleviate
poverty, and advancing access to basic services at return
sites, specifically clean water, health care, and schools;
(2) to enhance the accountability and administrative
competency of local governance institutions and public
agencies in northern Uganda with regard to budget management,
provision of public goods and services, and related oversight
functions;
(3) to strengthen the operational capacity of the civilian
police in northern Uganda to enhance public safety, prevent
crime, and deal sensitively with gender-based violence, while
strengthening accountability measures to prevent corruption
and abuses;
(4) to rebuild and improve the capacity of the justice
system in northern Uganda, including the courts and penal
systems, with particular sensitivity to the needs and rights
of women and children;
(5) to establish mechanisms for the disarmament,
demobilization, and reintegration of former combatants and
those abducted by the LRA, including vocational education and
employment opportunities, with attention given to the roles
and needs of men, women and children; and
(6) to promote programs to address psychosocial trauma,
particularly post-traumatic stress disorder.
(b) Future Year Funding.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Secretary of State and Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development should work with the
appropriate committees of Congress to increase assistance in
future fiscal years to support activities described in this
section if the Government of Uganda demonstrates a commitment
to transparent and accountable reconstruction in war-affected
areas of northern Uganda, specifically by--
(1) finalizing the establishment of mechanisms within the
Office of the Prime Minister to sufficiently manage and
coordinate the programs under the framework of the Peace
Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda (PRDP);
(2) increasing oversight activities and reporting, at the
local and national level in Uganda, to ensure funds under the
Peace Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda
framework are used efficiently and with minimal waste; and
(3) committing substantial funds of its own, above and
beyond standard budget allocations to local governments, to
the task of implementing the Peace Recovery and Development
Plan for Northern Uganda such that communities affected by
the war can recover.
(c) Coordination With Other Donor Nations.--The United
States should work with other donor nations to increase
contributions for recovery efforts in northern Uganda and
better leverage those contributions to enhance the capacity
and encourage the leadership of the Government of Uganda in
promoting transparent and accountable reconstruction in
northern Uganda.
(d) Termination of Assistance.--It is the sense of Congress
that the Secretary of State should withhold non-humanitarian
bilateral assistance to the Republic of Uganda if the
Secretary determines that the Government of Uganda is not
committed to reconstruction and reconciliation in the war-
affected areas of northern Uganda and is not taking proactive
steps to ensure this process moves forward in a transparent
and accountable manner.
SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE FOR RECONCILIATION AND TRANSITIONAL
JUSTICE IN NORTHERN UGANDA.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that,
despite reconstruction and development efforts, a continued
failure to take meaningful steps toward national
reconciliation and accountability risks perpetuating
longstanding political grievances and fueling new conflicts.
(b) Authority.--In accordance with section 531 of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346), the
President is authorized to support efforts by the people of
northern Uganda and the Government of Uganda to advance
efforts to promote transitional justice and reconciliation on
both local and national levels, including to encourage
implementation of the mechanisms outlined in the Annexure to
the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation between
the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army/
Movement, signed at Juba February 19, 2008, namely--
[[Page S1411]]
(1) a body to investigate the history of the conflict,
inquire into human rights violations committed during the
conflict by all sides, promote truth-telling in communities,
and encourage the preservation of the memory of events and
victims of the conflict through memorials, archives,
commemorations, and other forms of preservation;
(2) a special division of the High Court of Uganda to try
individuals alleged to have committed serious crimes during
the conflict, and a special unit to carry out investigations
and prosecutions in support of trials;
(3) a system for making reparations to victims of the
conflict; and
(4) a review and strategy for supporting transitional
justice mechanisms in affected areas to promote
reconciliation and encourage individuals to take personal
responsibility for their conduct during the war.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011
through 2013 to carry out this section.
SEC. 8. REPORT.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the
submission of the strategy required under section 4, the
Secretary of State shall prepare and submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report on the progress
made toward the implementation of the strategy required under
section 4 and a description and evaluation of the assistance
provided under this Act toward the policy objectives
described in section 3.
(b) Contents.--The report required under section (a) shall
include--
(1) a description and evaluation of actions taken toward
the implementation of the strategy required under section 4;
(2) a description of assistance provided under sections 5,
6, and 7;
(3) an evaluation of bilateral assistance provided to the
Republic of Uganda and associated programs in light of stated
policy objectives;
(4) a description of the status of the Peace Recovery and
Development Plan for Northern Uganda and the progress of the
Government of Uganda in fulfilling the steps outlined in
section 6(b); and
(5) a description of amounts of assistance committed, and
amounts provided, to northern Uganda during the reporting
period by the Government of Uganda and each donor country.
(c) Form.--The report under this section shall be submitted
in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on
Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(2) Great lakes region.--The term ``Great Lakes Region''
means the region comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Rwanda, southern Sudan, and Uganda.
(3) LRA-affected areas.--The term ``LRA-affected areas''
means those portions of northern Uganda, southern Sudan,
northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and southeastern
Central African Republic determined by the Secretary of State
to be affected by the Lord's Resistance Army as of the date
of the enactment of this Act.
Mr. DORGAN. I ask unanimous consent the committee-reported substitute
amendment be considered; that a Feingold amendment which is at the desk
be agreed to; the substitute amendment, as amended, be agreed to; the
bill as amended be read a third time and passed, the motions to
reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate,
and any statements be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 3461) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To express the sense of Congress regarding the funding of
activities under this Act)
On page 21, line 4, strike ``(a) Authority.--''.
On page 21, strike lines 12 through 14.
On page 26, strike lines 1 through 3.
On page 27, strike line 10 and insert the following:
SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FUNDING.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year
2011 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up
to $10,000,000 should be used to carry out activities under
section 5; and
(2) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year
2011 through 2013 for the Department of State and foreign
operations, up to $10,000,000 in each such fiscal year should
be used to carry out activities under section 7.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended,
was agreed to.
The bill (S. 1067), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 1067
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lord's Resistance Army
Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) For over 2 decades, the Government of Uganda engaged in
an armed conflict with the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in
northern Uganda that led to the internal displacement of more
than 2,000,000 Ugandans from their homes.
(2) The members of the Lord's Resistance Army used brutal
tactics in northern Uganda, including mutilating, abducting
and forcing individuals into sexual servitude and forcing a
large number of children and youth in Uganda, estimated by
the Survey for War Affected Youth to be over 66,000, to fight
as part of the rebel force.
(3) The Secretary of State has placed the Lord's Resistance
Army on the Terrorist Exclusion list pursuant to section
212(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1182(a)(3)), and LRA leader Joseph Kony has been designated a
``specially designated global terrorist'' pursuant to
Executive Order 13224.
(4) In late 2005, according to the United Nations Office
for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Lord's
Resistance Army shifted their primary base of operations from
southern Sudan to northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo,
and the rebels have since withdrawn from northern Uganda.
(5) Representatives of the Government of Uganda and the
Lord's Resistance Army began peace negotiations in 2006,
mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan in Juba, Sudan,
and signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement on August
20, 2006, which provided for hundreds of thousands of
internally displaced people to return home in safety.
(6) After nearly 2 years of negotiations, representatives
from the parties reached the Final Peace Agreement in April
2008, but Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance
Army, refused to sign the Final Peace Agreement in May 2008
and his forces launched new attacks in northeastern Congo.
(7) According to the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Relief and the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, the new activity of the
Lord's Resistance Army in northeastern Congo and southern
Sudan since September 2008 has led to the abduction of at
least 1,500 civilians, including hundreds of children, and
the displacement of more than 540,000 people.
(8) In December 2008, the military forces of Uganda, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and southern Sudan launched a
joint operation against the Lord's Resistance Army's bases in
northeastern Congo, but the operation failed to apprehend
Joseph Kony, and his forces retaliated with a series of new
attacks and massacres in Congo and southern Sudan, killing an
estimated 900 people in 2 months alone.
(9) Despite the refusal of Joseph Kony to sign the Final
Peace Agreement, the Government of Uganda has committed to
continue reconstruction plans for northern Uganda, and to
implement those mechanisms of the Final Peace Agreement not
conditional on the compliance of the Lord's Resistance Army.
(10) Since 2008, recovery efforts in northern Uganda have
moved forward with the financial support of the United States
and other donors, but have been hampered by a lack of
strategic coordination, logistical delays, and limited
leadership from the Government of Uganda.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is 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--
(1) 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 in the continued absence of a negotiated
solution, and to disarm and demobilize the remaining Lord's
Resistance Army fighters;
(2) targeting assistance to respond to the humanitarian
needs of populations in northeastern Congo, southern Sudan,
and Central African Republic currently affected by the
activity of the Lord's Resistance Army; and
(3) further supporting and encouraging efforts of the
Government of Uganda and civil society to promote
comprehensive reconstruction, transitional justice, and
reconciliation in northern Uganda as affirmed in the Northern
Uganda Crisis Response Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-283) and
subsequent resolutions, including Senate Resolution 366,
109th Congress, agreed to February 2, 2006, Senate Resolution
573, 109th Congress, agreed to September 19, 2006, Senate
Concurrent Resolution 16, 110th Congress, agreed to in the
Senate March 1, 2007, and House Concurrent Resolution 80,
110th Congress, agreed to in the House of Representatives
June 18, 2007.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT OF A STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE DISARMAMENT
OF THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.
(a) Requirement for Strategy.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President
shall develop and submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a strategy to guide future United States support
across the region for viable multilateral efforts to mitigate
and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability
posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
[[Page S1412]]
(b) Content of Strategy.--The strategy shall include the
following:
(1) A plan to help strengthen efforts by the United Nations
and regional governments to protect civilians from attacks by
the Lord's Resistance Army while supporting the development
of institutions in affected areas that can help to maintain
the rule of law and prevent conflict in the long term.
(2) An assessment of viable options through which the
United States, working with regional governments, could help
develop and support multilateral efforts to eliminate the
threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
(3) An interagency framework to plan, coordinate, and
review diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military
elements of United States policy across the region regarding
the Lord's Resistance Army.
(4) A description of the type and form of diplomatic
engagement across the region undertaken to coordinate and
implement United States policy regarding the Lord's
Resistance Army and to work multilaterally with regional
mechanisms, including the Tripartite Plus Commission and the
Great Lakes Pact.
(5) A description of how this engagement will fit within
the context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the
Great Lakes Region.
(c) Form.--The strategy under this section shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
SEC. 5. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS OUTSIDE UGANDA
AFFECTED BY THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.
In accordance with section 491 of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292) and section 2 of the Migration
and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601), the
President is authorized to provide additional assistance to
the Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and Central
African Republic to respond to the humanitarian needs of
populations directly affected by the activity of the Lord's
Resistance Army.
SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE FOR RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION IN
NORTHERN UGANDA.
(a) Authority.--It is the sense of Congress that the
President should support efforts by the people of northern
Uganda and the Government of Uganda--
(1) to assist internally displaced people in transition and
returnees to secure durable solutions by spurring economic
revitalization, supporting livelihoods, helping to alleviate
poverty, and advancing access to basic services at return
sites, specifically clean water, health care, and schools;
(2) to enhance the accountability and administrative
competency of local governance institutions and public
agencies in northern Uganda with regard to budget management,
provision of public goods and services, and related oversight
functions;
(3) to strengthen the operational capacity of the civilian
police in northern Uganda to enhance public safety, prevent
crime, and deal sensitively with gender-based violence, while
strengthening accountability measures to prevent corruption
and abuses;
(4) to rebuild and improve the capacity of the justice
system in northern Uganda, including the courts and penal
systems, with particular sensitivity to the needs and rights
of women and children;
(5) to establish mechanisms for the disarmament,
demobilization, and reintegration of former combatants and
those abducted by the LRA, including vocational education and
employment opportunities, with attention given to the roles
and needs of men, women and children; and
(6) to promote programs to address psychosocial trauma,
particularly post-traumatic stress disorder.
(b) Future Year Funding.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Secretary of State and Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development should work with the
appropriate committees of Congress to increase assistance in
future fiscal years to support activities described in this
section if the Government of Uganda demonstrates a commitment
to transparent and accountable reconstruction in war-affected
areas of northern Uganda, specifically by--
(1) finalizing the establishment of mechanisms within the
Office of the Prime Minister to sufficiently manage and
coordinate the programs under the framework of the Peace
Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda (PRDP);
(2) increasing oversight activities and reporting, at the
local and national level in Uganda, to ensure funds under the
Peace Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda
framework are used efficiently and with minimal waste; and
(3) committing substantial funds of its own, above and
beyond standard budget allocations to local governments, to
the task of implementing the Peace Recovery and Development
Plan for Northern Uganda such that communities affected by
the war can recover.
(c) Coordination With Other Donor Nations.--The United
States should work with other donor nations to increase
contributions for recovery efforts in northern Uganda and
better leverage those contributions to enhance the capacity
and encourage the leadership of the Government of Uganda in
promoting transparent and accountable reconstruction in
northern Uganda.
(d) Termination of Assistance.--It is the sense of Congress
that the Secretary of State should withhold non-humanitarian
bilateral assistance to the Republic of Uganda if the
Secretary determines that the Government of Uganda is not
committed to reconstruction and reconciliation in the war-
affected areas of northern Uganda and is not taking proactive
steps to ensure this process moves forward in a transparent
and accountable manner.
SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE FOR RECONCILIATION AND TRANSITIONAL
JUSTICE IN NORTHERN UGANDA.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that,
despite reconstruction and development efforts, a continued
failure to take meaningful steps toward national
reconciliation and accountability risks perpetuating
longstanding political grievances and fueling new conflicts.
(b) Authority.--In accordance with section 531 of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346), the
President is authorized to support efforts by the people of
northern Uganda and the Government of Uganda to advance
efforts to promote transitional justice and reconciliation on
both local and national levels, including to encourage
implementation of the mechanisms outlined in the Annexure to
the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation between
the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army/
Movement, signed at Juba February 19, 2008, namely--
(1) a body to investigate the history of the conflict,
inquire into human rights violations committed during the
conflict by all sides, promote truth-telling in communities,
and encourage the preservation of the memory of events and
victims of the conflict through memorials, archives,
commemorations, and other forms of preservation;
(2) a special division of the High Court of Uganda to try
individuals alleged to have committed serious crimes during
the conflict, and a special unit to carry out investigations
and prosecutions in support of trials;
(3) a system for making reparations to victims of the
conflict; and
(4) a review and strategy for supporting transitional
justice mechanisms in affected areas to promote
reconciliation and encourage individuals to take personal
responsibility for their conduct during the war.
SEC. 8. REPORT.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the
submission of the strategy required under section 4, the
Secretary of State shall prepare and submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report on the progress
made toward the implementation of the strategy required under
section 4 and a description and evaluation of the assistance
provided under this Act toward the policy objectives
described in section 3.
(b) Contents.--The report required under section (a) shall
include--
(1) a description and evaluation of actions taken toward
the implementation of the strategy required under section 4;
(2) a description of assistance provided under sections 5,
6, and 7;
(3) an evaluation of bilateral assistance provided to the
Republic of Uganda and associated programs in light of stated
policy objectives;
(4) a description of the status of the Peace Recovery and
Development Plan for Northern Uganda and the progress of the
Government of Uganda in fulfilling the steps outlined in
section 6(b); and
(5) a description of amounts of assistance committed, and
amounts provided, to northern Uganda during the reporting
period by the Government of Uganda and each donor country.
(c) Form.--The report under this section shall be submitted
in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FUNDING.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year
2011 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up
to $10,000,000 should be used to carry out activities under
section 5; and
(2) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year
2011 through 2013 for the Department of State and foreign
operations, up to $10,000,000 in each such fiscal year should
be used to carry out activities under section 7.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on
Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(2) Great lakes region.--The term ``Great Lakes Region''
means the region comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Rwanda, southern Sudan, and Uganda.
(3) LRA-affected areas.--The term ``LRA-affected areas''
means those portions of northern Uganda, southern Sudan,
northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and southeastern
Central African Republic determined by the Secretary of State
to be affected by the Lord's Resistance Army as of the date
of the enactment of this Act.
____________________