Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1067, the Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Recovery Act, which recently passed the Senate and is under consideration today by the House of Representatives. The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) formed in Uganda has committed countless atrocities. The LRA is responsible for the abduction of thousands of children from southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic. These children have been forced to become soldiers of the LRA, and more than a thousand have died. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced because of the LRA's actions.

The LRA Leader, Joseph Kony, is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Leaders who commit war crimes and other atrocities can not be allowed to stay in power and obstruct the peace process that is necessary for the Ugandan people to live without the threat of abduction, violence, or death. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 2478, the House companion to S. 1067, which calls upon President Obama to devise a strategy that will remove Mr. Kony from power and allow Ugandans to rebuild their lives. The U.S. should show leadership by working with international partners to bring stability to Uganda and surrounding areas. We must work to end this reign of violence in Uganda, which is why I encourage my colleagues to support S. 1067.

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