III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 573 

Calling on the United States Government and the international community 

to support the successful transition from conflict to sustainable peace 

in Uganda. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2006 

Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. DEWINE, Mr. MARTINEZ, 

Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. KERRY, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. LEAHY, 

Mr. BIDEN, and Mr. KENNEDY) submitted the following resolution; which 

was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the United States Government and the international community to support the successful transition 

from conflict to sustainable peace in Uganda. 

Whereas, for nearly 2 decades, the Government of Uganda 

has been engaged in a conflict with the Lord’s Resistance 

Army (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘LRA’’) that 

has resulted in— 

(1) the deaths of approximately 200,000 individuals 

from violence and disease; and 

(2) the displacement of more than 1,600,000 individuals from the northern and eastern regions of Uganda; 

Whereas more than half of those internally-displaced individuals are under the age of 15, and 95 percent of those inVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:10 Sep 20, 2006 Jkt 049196 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR573.ATS SR573

jcorcoran on PRODPC62 with BILLS
2 

•SRES 573 ATS 

dividuals live in absolute poverty in camps where they 

face malnutrition, high rates of AIDS and malaria, and 

egregious abuses of their human rights; 

Whereas the LRA has used brutal tactics during that conflict, including the abduction and abuse of more than 

25,000 children who the organization forces to attack, 

rape, and murder members of their families and communities on behalf of the LRA; 

Whereas continued instability and a lack of security in the 

northern region of Uganda has severely hindered the delivery of sufficient humanitarian assistance and services 

to individuals who have been displaced or otherwise negatively affected by that conflict; 

Whereas spillover from the war in the northern region of 

Uganda have had negative consequences in the neighboring countries of Sudan and the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo; 

Whereas a successful transition to sustainable peace in the 

northern region of Uganda and throughout the country 

will depend in large part on a coordinated and comprehensive effort by the Government of Uganda, regional 

partners, and the international community to create new 

social, economic, and political opportunities for the citizens of Uganda who are affected by that conflict; 

Whereas a sustainable political resolution to that conflict 

must include a range of locally and nationally driven reconciliation efforts that will require the endorsement and 

involvement of all parties to the conflict, as well as support from the international community; 

Whereas the 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, published by the Department of State, relating to 


jcorcoran on PRODPC62 with BILLS
3 

•SRES 573 ATS 

the Government of Uganda indicated that the ‘‘security 

forces committed unlawful killings. . .and were responsible 

for deaths as a result of torture’’ along with other ‘‘serious problems’’, including repression of political opposition, official impunity, and violence against women and 

children; 

Whereas, in the Northern Uganda Crisis Response Act (Public Law 108–283; 118 Stat. 912), the Senate— 

(1) declared its support for a peaceful resolution of 

the conflict in the northern and eastern regions of Uganda; and 

(2) called for the United States and the international community to assist in rehabilitation, reconstruction, and demobilization efforts; and 

Whereas the cessation of hostilities agreement, that was mediated by the Government of Southern Sudan and signed 

by representatives of the Government of Uganda and the 

LRA on August 20, 2006— 

(1) required both parties to cease all hostile military 

and media offensives; and 

(2) asked the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army to 

facilitate the safe assembly of LRA fighters in designated 

areas for the duration of the peace talks: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the delegates from the Govern3 ment of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army for 

4 agreeing to a cessation of hostilities for the first 

5 time in the 20 years of that devastating conflict; 


jcorcoran on PRODPC62 with BILLS
4 

•SRES 573 ATS 

1 (2) recognizes the leadership role that the Gov2 ernment of Southern Sudan played in mediating 

3 that cessation of hostilities and establishing a frame4 work within which a lasting peace to that conflict 

5 could be achieved; 

6 (3) emphasizes the importance of a complete 

7 implementation of the cessation of hostilities agree8 ment by all parties to maintain progress towards a 

9 permanent resolution of that conflict; 

10 (4) expresses the support of the citizens of the 

11 United States for the people of Uganda who have 

12 endured decades of violence as a result of that con13 flict; 

14 (5) entreats all parties to address issues of ac15 countability and impunity for war crimes and crimes 

16 against humanity, and to support broader national 

17 reconciliation efforts; 

18 (6) strongly encourages the Government of 

19 Uganda to improve the professionalism of Ugandan 

20 military personnel currently stationed in the north21 ern and eastern regions of Uganda, with an empha22 sis on enhancing respect for human rights, account23 ability for abuses, and effective protection of civil24 ians; 


jcorcoran on PRODPC62 with BILLS
5 

•SRES 573 ATS 

1 (7) urges the Government of Uganda to follow 

2 through and augment its resettlement plan by— 

3 (A) expanding social services; 

4 (B) deploying professional civil servants; 

5 and 

6 (C) developing the legal, political, and se7 curity infrastructure— 

8 (i) necessary to facilitate the freedom 

9 of movement of civilians to their homes, 

10 land, and areas within and around camps; 

11 and 

12 (ii) essential to fulfill the needs of re13 turnees and former combatants; and 

14 (8) calls on the United States Department of 

15 State and the United States Agency for Inter16 national Development, as well as the international 

17 community— 

18 (A) to provide adequate and coordinated 

19 humanitarian assistance through nongovern20 mental organizations to the individuals and 

21 areas most affected by that conflict; 

22 (B) to, while providing humanitarian as23 sistance, pay particular attention to women and 

24 children who have been victimized; and 

25 (C) to provide— 


jcorcoran on PRODPC62 with BILLS
6 

•SRES 573 ATS 

1 (i) sufficient technical assistance for 

2 the demobilization and reintegration of 

3 rebel combatants and abductees; 

4 (ii) both financial and technical sup5 port for reconciliation and reconstruction 

6 efforts; and 

7 (iii) diplomatic and logistical support 

8 for the cessation of hostilities agreement 

9 and subsequent progress towards a sus10 tainable peace in Uganda. 

Æ 


jcorcoran on PRODPC62 with BILLS