[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 21, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1940-S1942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
Hatch, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Akaka, Mrs. Murray,

[[Page S1941]]

Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Tester, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Franken, Ms. 
Landrieu, Mr. Reed of Rhode Island, 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:

                              S. Res. 402

       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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