III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION 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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 21, 2012 

Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. 

HATCH, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. AKAKA, Mrs. 

MURRAY, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. TESTER, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, Mr. 

FRANKEN, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. REED, Mr. MORAN, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. 

LEVIN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. ISAKSON, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. 

BEGICH, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. WICKER, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. COATS, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CORNYN, and Mr. 

BLUNT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

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 


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•SRES 402 IS 

66,000 youth of all ages and sexes 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 South Sudan; 

Whereas, since September 2008, Joseph Kony has directed 

the Lord’s Resistance Army to commit systematic, largescale 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 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 

the Central African Republic, and the Republic of South 

Sudan, 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 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, 

with the assistance of the United States and the international community, to consolidate peace and stability in 

each of the countries affected, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of South 

Sudan; 


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•SRES 402 IS 

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; 


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•SRES 402 IS 

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 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2012 (Public Law 112–81) authorized the Secretary 

of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of 

State, to provide logistic support, supplies, and services 

for foreign forces participating in operations to mitigate 

and eliminate the threat of the Lord’s Resistance Army; 

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 earlywarning 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; 

and 


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•SRES 402 IS 

Whereas targeted United States assistance and leadership 

can help prevent further mass atrocities and curtail humanitarian suffering in central Africa: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Re3 sistance Army for committing crimes against hu4 manity and mass atrocities, and supports ongoing 

5 efforts by the United States and countries in central 

6 Africa to remove Joseph Kony and Lord’s Resist7 ance Army commanders from the battlefield; 

8 (2) commends continued efforts by the Govern9 ments of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of 

10 Congo, the Republic of South Sudan, the Central Af11 rican Republic, and other counties in the region, as 

12 well as the African Union and United Nations, to 

13 end the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army; 

14 (3) welcomes the ongoing efforts of the United 

15 States Government to implement a comprehensive 

16 strategy to counter the Lord’s Resistance Army, 

17 pursuant to the Lord’s Resistence Army Disar18 mament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 

19 2009, and to assist governments in the region to 

20 bring Joseph Kony to justice and end atrocities per21 petuated by the Lord’s Resistance Army; 


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•SRES 402 IS 

1 (4) calls on the President to keep Congress 

2 fully informed of the efforts of the United States 

3 Government and to work closely with Congress to 

4 identify and address critical gaps and enhance 

5 United States support for the regional effort to 

6 counter the Lord’s Resistance Army; 

7 (5) commends the Department of Defense, 

8 United States Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM), 

9 and members of the United States Armed Forces 

10 currently deployed to serve as advisors to the na11 tional militaries in the region seeking to protect local 

12 communities and pursuing Joseph Kony and top 

13 Lord’s Resistance Army commanders; 

14 (6) supports continued efforts by the Secretary 

15 of State and representatives of the United States to 

16 work with partner nations and the international 

17 community— 

18 (A) to strengthen the capabilities of re19 gional military forces deployed to protect civil20 ians and pursue commanders of the Lord’s Re21 sistance Army; 

22 (B) to enhance cooperation and cross-bor23 der coordination among regional governments; 

24 (C) to promote increased contributions 

25 from donor nations for regional security and ciVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:30 Mar 22, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR402.IS SR402

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•SRES 402 IS 

1 vilian efforts to address the Lord’s Resistance 

2 Army; and 

3 (D) to enhance overall efforts to increase 

4 civilian protection and provide assistance to 

5 populations affected by the Lord’s Resistance 

6 Army; 

7 (7) calls on the Secretary of State, the Sec8 retary of Defense, the Administrator of the United 

9 States Agency for International Development, and 

10 the heads of other government agencies to utilize ex11 isting funds for ongoing programs— 

12 (A) to enhance mobility, intelligence, and 

13 logistical capabilities for partner forces engaged 

14 in efforts to protect civilians and apprehend or 

15 remove Joseph Kony and his top commanders 

16 from the battlefield; 

17 (B) to expand physical access and tele18 communications infrastructure to facilitate the 

19 timely flow of information and access for hu20 manitarian and protection actors; 

21 (C) to support programs to encourage and 

22 help non-indicted Lord’s Resistance Army com23 manders, fighters, abductees, and associated 

24 noncombatants to safely defect from the group, 


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1 including through radio and community pro2 grams; and 

3 (D) to rehabilitate children and youth af4 fected by war, which are tailored to address the 

5 specific trauma and physical and mental abuse 

6 they may face as a result of indoctrination by 

7 the Lord’s Resistance Army, and serve to re8 connect these children and youth with their 

9 families and communities; 

10 (8) calls for the President to place restrictions 

11 on any individuals or governments found to be pro12 viding training, supplies, financing, or support of 

13 any kind to Joseph Kony or the Lord’s Resistance 

14 Army; 

15 (9) urges that civilian protection continue to be 

16 prioritized in areas affected by the Lord’s Resistance 

17 Army and that steps be taken to inform potentially 

18 vulnerable communities about known Lord’s Resist19 ance Army movements and threats; 

20 (10) welcomes the recent defections of men, 

21 women, and children from the ranks of the Lord’s 

22 Resistance Army, and calls on governments in the 

23 region and the international community to continue 

24 to support safe return, demobilization, rehabilitation, 

25 and reintegration efforts; and 


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1 (11) urges the Governments of Uganda, the 

2 Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of 

3 South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan, and the Cen4 tral African Republic to work together to address 

5 the ongoing threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance 

6 Army. 

Æ 


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