Weekly Roundup Jan 30 - Feb 5: ICC Prosecutor Applauds Activist Support for Legislation

With news this week of LRA killings of civilians surging in remote corners of DR Congo, International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo applauded the efforts of US activists to secure the passage of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act and see the violence ended. Activist efforts continued to make historic progress this week, with a supermajority of Senators now signed on as cosponsors.

The Good: The Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act acquired 6 new cosponsors this week, bringing the total number of cosponsors to 61 Senators and 157 Representatives.

The Bad: According to a UN report released this week, The LRA have killed over 100 civilians in northeastern DR Congo in the past month alone.

The Ugly: Enough Project research is showing that the number of Congolese civilians murdered by the LRA in the last two months is likely close to 400, much higher than official UN estimates.
 

Regional Security

• The Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative called on the Ugandan government to resume peace talks with the LRA. "Even if the guns in the north have gone silent, they are still roaring in South Sudan and DR Congo.  They are a threat to our security," said a spokesperson.

• In a blog post that notes surging LRA violence in DR Congo, Enough Project notes that "…recent statements from Congolese and Ugandan officials claiming that the LRA threat is over are simply inaccurate. On the contrary, the facts from the ground indicate that the situation is worsening."

• A global threat assessment report by the head of US intelligence published this week stated that, of all countries exhibiting high risk factors for internal conflict or regime crisis, "a new mass killing or genocide is most likely to occur in Southern Sudan."

Situation in Northern Uganda

• Uganda's First Lady, Janet Museveni, spoke at a conference in Lira this week, calling for the promotion of peace and unity in the North, and highlighting the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation along with physical recovery and reconstruction for the region.

• Government officials in Gulu shut down 30 markets that were established illegally without paying government dues during the period of LRA violence in northern Uganda.  Since the displacement camps were shut down, 190,000 people remain without homes or land to support themselves.

 
International Community

• Breaking with past tradition, US leaders are being increasingly outspoken about the need for democratic reforms in advance of Uganda's upcoming elections. The US Ambassador to Uganda held a press briefing on the matter, and the Director of National Intelligence testified to Congress that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is not making sufficient efforts to ensure free and fair elections.

• Four more Senators signed on as cosponsors to the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act this week -- bringing the Senate bill to a supermajority of 61 cosponsors -- and two Representatives signed on to the House version of the bill. Activsists efforts continued to convince Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to release his "hold" and allow the Senate bill to pass. 

• Both the US House of Representatives and Senate introduced bipartisan resolutions this week condemning the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill, stating that it "threatens the protection of fundamental human rights."  The resolution now has almost 40 cosponsors in the House.