BREAKING NEWS: Landmark legislation to help end war introduced TODAY in US Congress

After much anticipation (and more than a little hand-wringing here at Resolve Uganda HQ), the "LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act" was introduced in both the US Senate and House of Representatives today.

This landmark legislation does three key things to help end the immediate violence being committed by the LRA and also help assist those communities who have been affected by the war. They are:

-Requires a strategy for stopping the LRA: The bill mandates Secretary of State Clinton to devise an interagency strategy to apprehend top LRA leaders and demobilize child soldiers held within rebel ranks;

- Provides lifesaving aid: It increases emergency support to communities in the DR Congo most affected by recent LRA attacks;

- Invests in sustainable peace: The legislation will target US assistance to recovery and reconciliation efforts in northern Uganda to help prevent further outbreaks of conflict.

The bill was introduced by Senators Brownback (R-KS) and Feingold (D-WI) in the Senate and Representatives McGovern (D-MA), Miller (D-NC) and Royce (R-CA) in the House of Representatives.

Here's some of what Senator Feingold had to say when he introduced the bill today: "If we are now to finally see this conflict to its end, we need to commit to a proactive strategy to help end the threat posed by the LRA and support reconstruction, justice, and reconciliation in northern Uganda.  This bill seeks to do just that.

The Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 reaffirms and refocuses that commitment to help see this—one of Africa’s longest running and most gruesome rebel wars—to its finish.  I believe that, with the necessary leadership and strategic vision envisioned by this legislation, we can contribute to that end.  I urge my colleagues to support this bill."

We have our work cut out for us in getting this legislation passed and signed by President Obama, but today is the first step!

Many (many) more details to come in the days to follow. For the daring and courageous, click here to download the bill and read the full text.