I am pleased to chair this hearing of the African Affairs Subcommittee examining U.S. policy to counter the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). I would like to welcome my good friend, Senator Isakson, and other members of the Committee, as well as our distinguished witnesses: Principal Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs Donald Yamamoto; Assistant Administrator for Africa at USAID, Earl Gast; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, Amanda Dory; Ms. Jolly Okot, Regional Ambassador for Invisible Children; and Mr. Jacob Acaye, a former LRA abductee.
For more than two decades, the LRA has committed brutal attacks against innocent civilians in Central Africa that have destabilized the region and resulted in systematic killing, displacement, kidnapping, mutilation, and rape. Joseph Kony and his commanders have abducted tens of thousands of children to serve as child soldiers and sex slaves, forcing them to commit terrible acts, including the murder of their own families and communities. We are privileged and humbled to hear today from two victims of the LRA – Jacob and Jolly – who have endured horrific experiences in Uganda, and survived to courageously tell their story.
Joseph Kony epitomizes the worst of mankind and evil in the modern day. He and his top lieutenants are responsible for leading a scourge of terror across Central Africa that has included war crimes and crimes against humanity. While the LRA left Uganda in 2006, it continues to burn a path of destruction through the Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Sudan. As you can see from this chart, in the past four months alone, the LRA has committed 132 attacks in these three countries despite increased U.S. and regional efforts to counter the LRA.
There has been, and continues to be, broad and bipartisan support for stopping Kony. This was demonstrated in May 2010 with the overwhelming passage of the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, which made it U.S. policy to work with regional governments to remove Kony and his top commanders from the battlefield and protect civilians from the LRA. There is also bipartisan support for the recent deployment of 100 U.S. military advisors, which just yesterday, President Obama announced would continue to train regional militaries.
Bipartisan support for this issue is so strong that six of my colleagues – on both sides of the aisle – joined me last week in releasing a video about the Senate’s longstanding commitment to countering the LRA that I would like to make a part of these proceedings.
This video was motivated, in part, by the millions of Americans – especially young people – who recently became involved in this issue due to the effective advocacy of NGOs such as Resolve, Invisible Children, and the Enough Project. There are moments in history, rare as they are, when millions of Americans galvanize around a crisis and try to find a way to act. This is one of those once-in-a-generation moments, and I hope the unprecedented level of engagement for humanitarian efforts in Africa can be sustained over time.
In the Senate, we have heard the message of the American people, and have continued to support ongoing U.S. efforts to counter the LRA. Along with Senators Inhofe, Isakson and 40 of our colleagues, I have sponsored a resolution condemning the LRA and supporting continued U.S. efforts to strengthen the capabilities of regional militaries, increase civilian protection, and provide assistance to populations affected by the LRA.
This hearing will examine U.S. policy to counter the LRA and assess the current status of ongoing military operations, including the U.S. “advise and assist” mission, regional military operations, and the recent announcement by the African Union (AU) to initiate a unified counter-offensive targeting the LRA. With the first panel, we will assess the progress of U.S.-funded programs to provide assistance to LRA-affected communities, encourage defections, and assist vulnerable communities with early-warning systems and other protections. On our second panel, we will hear from Jacob and Jolly about their experiences as young victims of the LRA who have dedicated their lives to advocacy. I think I speak on behalf of all Americans – including my own children – who were moved by the footage of Jacob and Jolly in the Kony: 2012 video, in thanking them for their leadership, commitment, and strength. We are especially grateful they have extended their visit from Uganda to be with us today.
With that, I turn it over to Senator Isakson for his opening statement.
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