[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 117 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6007-S6010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING JOSEPH KONY AND THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 432, S. Res. 402.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. Res. 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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution, 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:
(Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part
printed in italic.)
(Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic.)
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 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 the Republic of 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, 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 reported 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, which
have been supported by the assistance of the United States
and the international community, to consolidate peace and
stability in each of the countries affected by the Lord's
Resistance Army;
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
[[Page S6008]]
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 section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81; 22 U.S.C. 2151
note) authorized the Secretary of Defense, with the
concurrence of the Secretary of State, to provide logistical
support, supplies, and services for foreign forces
participating in operations to mitigate and eliminate the
threat of the Lord's Resistance Army;
Whereas that section provides that no United States Armed
Forces personnel, United States civilian employees, or United
States civilian contractor personnel may participate in
combat operations in connection with the provision of support
for foreign forces participating in operations to mitigate
and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army,
except for the purpose of acting in self-defense or of
rescuing any United States citizen (including any member of
the United States Armed Forces, any United States civilian
employee, or any United States civilian contractor);
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;
Whereas, on March 24, 2012, the African Union formally
announced the intent to deploy up to 5,000 troops to advance
regional efforts to counter the Lord's Resistance Army, and
the next day formally inaugurated the Headquarters of the
Regional Task Force in the Republic of South Sudan to
coordinate efforts to capture Joseph Kony and neutralize 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
countries 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 Resistance
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) commends the African Union for committing to enhance
troop deployments in order to 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, and in order to strengthen ongoing efforts to
apprehend Joseph Kony and senior commanders of the Lord's
Resistance Army or remove them from the battlefield;
(7) supports increased 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 in order to apprehend Joseph
Kony or remove him from the battlefield;
(8) 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 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;
(9) 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 relevant
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,
through programs that are tailored to address the specific
trauma and physical and mental abuse they may have
experienced as a result of indoctrination by the Lord's
Resistance Army, and serve to reconnect these children and
youth with their families and communities;
(10) calls on 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;
(11) 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;
(12) 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
(13) 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.
Amend the title so as to read: ``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 and regional
organizations in central Africa to remove Joseph Kony and
Lord's Resistance Army commanders from the battlefield.''.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee-
reported amendment be withdrawn; that the Coons substitute amendment,
which is at the desk, be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be
agreed to; that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be
agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; that the committee-
reported amendment to the title be agreed to, the motion to reconsider
be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that
any statements relating to this measure be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 2775) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To provide a complete substitute)
Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the
following: ``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
countries 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 assist regional governments to bring Joseph
Kony to justice
[[Page S6009]]
and end atrocities perpetuated by the Lord's Resistance Army,
pursuant to the comprehensive strategy required by the Lord's
Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act
of 2009;
(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
in the United States Government's strategy to support the
efforts of the regional governments 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) commends the African Union for committing to enhance
troop deployments in order to 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, and in order to strengthen ongoing efforts to
apprehend Joseph Kony and senior commanders of the Lord's
Resistance Army or remove them from the battlefield;
(7) supports increased 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 in order to apprehend Joseph
Kony or remove him from the battlefield;
(8) 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 efforts to address the Lord's Resistance Army;
and
(D) to enhance overall efforts to increase civilian
protection to populations affected by the Lord's Resistance
Army;
(9) 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 relevant
government agencies to utilize existing funds for ongoing
programs--
(A) to enhance mobility, intelligence, and logistical
capabilities for regional 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 support regionally-led rehabilitation programs for
children and youth affected by war that are tailored to
address the specific trauma and physical and mental abuse
these children and youth may have experienced as a result of
indoctrination by the Lord's Resistance Army and to serve to
reconnect them with their families and communities;
(10) calls on 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;
(11) urges that civilian protection and early-warning
programs led by regional militaries and the United States
Agency for International Development 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;
(12) 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
(13) 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.
The resolution (S. Res. 402), as amended, was agreed to.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The committee-reported amendment to the title was agreed to.
The resolution as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:
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 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 the Republic of 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, 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 reported 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, which
have been supported by the assistance of the United States
and the international community, to consolidate peace and
stability in each of the countries affected by the Lord's
Resistance Army;
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 section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81; 22 U.S.C. 2151
note) authorized the Secretary of Defense, with the
concurrence of the Secretary of State, to provide logistical
support, supplies, and services for foreign forces
participating in operations to mitigate and eliminate the
threat of the Lord's Resistance Army;
Whereas that section provides that no United States Armed
Forces personnel, United States civilian employees, or United
States civilian contractor personnel may participate in
combat operations in connection with the provision of support
for foreign forces participating in operations to mitigate
and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army,
except for the purpose of acting in self-defense or of
rescuing any United States citizen (including any member of
the United States Armed Forces, any United States civilian
employee, or any United States civilian contractor);
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;
Whereas, on March 24, 2012, the African Union formally
announced the intent to deploy up to 5,000 troops to advance
regional efforts to counter the Lord's Resistance
[[Page S6010]]
Army, and the next day formally inaugurated the Headquarters
of the Regional Task Force in the Republic of South Sudan to
coordinate efforts to capture Joseph Kony and neutralize 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
countries 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 assist regional governments to bring Joseph
Kony to justice and end atrocities perpetuated by the Lord's
Resistance Army, pursuant to the comprehensive strategy
required by the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and
Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009;
(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
in the United States Government's strategy to support the
efforts of the regional governments 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) commends the African Union for committing to enhance
troop deployments in order to 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, and in order to strengthen ongoing efforts to
apprehend Joseph Kony and senior commanders of the Lord's
Resistance Army or remove them from the battlefield;
(7) supports increased 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 in order to apprehend Joseph
Kony or remove him from the battlefield;
(8) 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 efforts to address the Lord's Resistance Army;
and
(D) to enhance overall efforts to increase civilian
protection to populations affected by the Lord's Resistance
Army;
(9) 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 relevant
government agencies to utilize existing funds for ongoing
programs--
(A) to enhance mobility, intelligence, and logistical
capabilities for regional 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 support regionally-led rehabilitation programs for
children and youth affected by war that are tailored to
address the specific trauma and physical and mental abuse
these children and youth may have experienced as a result of
indoctrination by the Lord's Resistance Army and to serve to
reconnect them with their families and communities;
(10) calls on 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;
(11) urges that civilian protection and early-warning
programs led by regional militaries and the United States
Agency for International Development 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;
(12) 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
(13) 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.
____________________