PUBLIC LAW 111–172—MAY 24, 2010 124 STAT. 1209 

Public Law 111–172 

111th Congress 

An Act 

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. 

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rebels have since withdrawn from northern Uganda.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 

Lord’s Resistance 

Army 

Disarmament 

and Northern 

Uganda Recovery 

Act of 2009. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 

May 24, 2010 

[S. 1067] 


dkrause on GSDDPC29PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
124 STAT. 1210 PUBLIC LAW 111–172—MAY 24, 2010 

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. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 


dkrause on GSDDPC29PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
PUBLIC LAW 111–172—MAY 24, 2010 124 STAT. 1211 

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. 

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 

22 USC 2151 

note. 

President. 

Democratic 

Republic of the 

Congo. 

Sudan. 

Central African 

Republic. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 

Deadline. 

President. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 


dkrause on GSDDPC29PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
124 STAT. 1212 PUBLIC LAW 111–172—MAY 24, 2010 

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. 


dkrause on GSDDPC29PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
PUBLIC LAW 111–172—MAY 24, 2010 124 STAT. 1213 

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. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 


dkrause on GSDDPC29PROD with PUBLIC LAWS
124 STAT. 1214 PUBLIC LAW 111–172—MAY 24, 2010 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1067: 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 111–108 (Comm. on Foreign Relations). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010): 

Mar. 10, considered and passed Senate. 

May 12, considered and passed House. 

DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2010): 

May 24, Presidential statement. 

Æ 

(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. 

Approved May 24, 2010. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 


dkrause on GSDDPC29PROD with PUBLIC LAWS