[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17552]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           IN SUPPORT OF NEGOTIATING PEACE IN NORTHERN UGANDA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 26, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I stand today to express my support for 
House Concurrent Resolution 80, introduced by Congressman Hank Johnson. 
This is the first action to be taken by the House concerning the 
continuing conflict in northern Uganda which has claimed so many lives. 
I am a proud cosponsor of a resolution calling for an unprecedented and 
historical effort to peacefully resolve the Ugandan conflict and garner 
international support for an ongoing peace process.
  Jan Egeland, former United Nations Undersecretary-General for 
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has described 
the crisis in Uganda as ``the biggest forgotten, neglected humanitarian 
emergency in the world today.'' Twenty years of conflict has afflicted 
Uganda's innocent civilians, including women and children, with 
experiences of torture, displacement, rape, murder and enslavement. The 
ensuing violence impedes trade, development and democracy, and prevents 
humanitarian workers from providing much needed assistance to the 
region. Peace talks last year appeared promising; however, the 
ceasefire has expired and there is concern about the possibility of a 
return to armed conflict between the government of Uganda and the 
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
  We live in a global society. This conflict and its aftermath are an 
international responsibility. Immediate action must be taken to ensure 
that the peace talks continue in northern Uganda. House Concurrent 
Resolution 80 calls on the Ugandan government and LRA to recommence 
peace talks and urges the U.S. and international community to support 
the peace process. I commend these efforts, endorse this bill, and look 
forward to a day when armed conflict and human rights violations no 
longer afflict our world.

                          ____________________