Weekly Roundup Feb 27- March 5: Bill passes, Clinton speaks, LRA moves into Darfur
This was an epic week in our corner of the world. The biggest news is that dozens of committed activists scored a huge victory in Oklahoma, conducting a round-the-clock effort outside Senator Tom Coburn's office until he agreed a compromise that paved the way for the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act to pass the Senatelater in the week.
In addition, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out about LRA violence for the first time, and our Director of Advocacy wrote reflections from northern Uganda and DR Congo as part of his continuing research mission in the region.
The Good: Thanks to the tireless efforts of thousands of activists, theLRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act passed the Senate on Wednesday. The bill passed by unanimous consent after an 11-day holdout outside Senator Coburn's office convinced him to lift his hold that had been blocking the bill.
The Bad: Paul Ronan, our Director of Advocacy, reports from the frontlines of LRA violence in DR Congo that "People here feel that the failure of the Congolese government and international community to protect them represents a negligence of their basic responsibilities on the highest order."
The Ugly: Elements of the LRA - potentially including Joseph Kony - have taken refuge in Sudan's Darfur region, and is likely receiving renewed support from the Sudanese government, our partners at the Enough Project confirm.
Regional Security
- The humanitarian situation in northeast DR Congo is "deteriorating," as the result of a recent upsurge in LRA attacks, while continued insecurity in the region and the destruction of infrastructure make it difficult for more than 320,000 displaced civilians to access basic humanitarian assistance.
- The UN is making plans to withdraw peacekeeping troops from DR Congo. The 20,509 strong force has been accused of human rights abuses and criticized for being ineffective, but some analysts believe that they may be civilians' best hope for protection from LRA attacks.
- In a campaign speech in Western Equatoria, Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir sought to win the support of Southerners in upcoming national elections by promising to bring an end to all LRA attacks in the country, even as his military is suspected of hosting the LRA into Darfur.
Situation in Northern Uganda
- Uganda's Parliament passed a bill that aligns the country's laws with the constitution of the International Criminal Court, creating new legal categories for war crimes and crimes against humanity, though it also included an immunity clause for Uganda's President.
- Our Director of Advocacy, Paul Ronan, reflects from northern Uganda on the signs of hope as people return to their homes and rebuild their lives.
International Community
- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made her first public remarks on escalating LRA violence this week, pledging continued US support for the regional militaries protecting civilians and aid for affected populations. "We're going to do everything we can to provide support we believe will enable us to [end this scourge]," she said. Watch the video here.
- Four US Senators issued statements expressing concern about LRA attacks and applauding activists for helping secure passage of landmark legislation before Congress. Senators Feingold (D-WI), Inhofe (R-OK), and Brownback (R-KS) jointly celebrated the bill's passage, and Senator Levin (D-MI) issued a separate earlier statement calling for Senator Coburn to lift his hold on the bill.
- Six more Representatives and three more Senators cosponsored the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, bringing the total number of cosponsors to 65 in the Senate and 164 in the House of Representatives.