U.S. Congress calls for strategy to defeat LRA
By Lakshmi Gandhi -
A bill calling for the Obama administration to develop a plan to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support on Wednesday.
The Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act calls for “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.” It now awaits President Barack Obama’s signature.
U.S. Capitol, Wikimedia Commons.
“The removal of Kony and his top leadership would decapitate this group. This legislation ensures US leadership in making that happen. The day can’t come soon enough,” said Republican Representative Ed Royce, referring to LRA leader Joseph Kony.
“This is a very significant day for U.S. policy in Africa,” said Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) in a statement. “For the first time the U.S. will be required to design and implement a comprehensive strategy with our multilateral and regional partners to address the violence of the LRA. This bill will help protect the victims of LRA violence in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and the Central African Republic.”
One of the bill’s biggest sponsors was the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Resolve Uganda. The organization had this to say on their blog last night:
“Increased attention and responsible action from our leaders is key to seeing LRA violence ended and affected communities rehabilitated, and the passage of this bill constitutes the most significant step taken by our Congress on this crisis since the conflict began more than two decades ago.”
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