Congressman Royce challenges top Africa diplomat on LRA

On Thursday, at a House of Representatives hearing on United States policy toward Africa, Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) challenged the US' top Africa diplomat about what our country is doing to prevent the LRA from gaining renewed support from their old patrons in the Sudanese government. A recent report by our colleagues at Enough Project alleged that a group of LRA has moved into South Darfur with protection from the Sudanese government.

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson responded, "I have to say that Kony has been elusive to the Ugandan military as Osama bin Laden has been to allied operations in the Afghan-Pakistan area. It is very difficult terrain that he is operating in, it is very difficult to go after him. The Ugandans have made a real effort, but it has been real difficult."

Calls for increased investment from the United States in attaining LRA leader Joseph Kony's apprehension have been increasing. A spokesperson for the International Criminal Court last week called for American leadership to arrest Kony, who is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"In the case of Joseph Kony in Uganda, he is a militia leader surrounded by armed men. We need ... the operational support of countries like the U.S., to the DRC, to Uganda, to the Central African Republic, to assist them in mounting an operation to arrest him. They have the will -- so it's a totally legitimate operation, politically, legally -- but they need this kind of assistance. And the U.S. has to be the leader," said Beatrice Le Fraper Du Hellen, special adviser to the prosecutor at the ICC.

Additionally, Representative Royce - along with Jim McGovern (D-MA) - is one of the original cosponsors of the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, which also calls for increased American leadership to put an end to the atrocities. The act passed the Senate and is now moving through the House.

To watch the hearing, click here and fast forward to one hour fifty-eight minutes.

Here's the full text of Congressman Royce's inquiry:

Congressman Royce: "Ambassador Carson, it has been good working with you over the years… First, let me say we had a hearing in Dec with Special Envoy Gration and I asked him about the links between Joseph Kony's LRA and the Sudanese regime. And at that time there were reports of an LRA commander who had surrendered, and he had told of the LRA's efforts to link with the Sudanese Armed Forces. And General Gration denied that there were links.

"But earlier this month, based on on-the-ground information, A report by an NGO which is John Prendergast's Enough Project - it's a pretty reliable organization - they reported that a contingent of the LRA had taken refuge in areas of South Darfur controlled by the regime in Khartoum. So we know from the past that Kony had gotten ammunition, that he had sent his soldiers north when they were wounded to be treated by the Sudanese, and of course both Kony and Bashir are wanted war criminals. So what is your assessment there?"

Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson: "Congressman Royce, thank you very much. With respect to Joseph Kony, there is no doubt that earlier - and I mean much earlier than now - there were very credible reports of Sudanese support for the LRA. But over the last two years, we have not seen - I have not seen - credible reports indicating a linkage between the LRA and the Sudanese government.

"What we have heard and seen are things that are very very fragmentary and circumstantial. As near as we can tell the LRA over the last eighteen months has been significantly degraded as  a fighting organization. Many of its top commanders have been captured or killed. The large organization comprised of the LRA has been fragmented into very very small groups. Those groups have moved frm Garamba Forest in the northern part of Congo up into the Central African Republic and have occasionally been inside of South Sudan.

"It is my impression that today, fragmentary elements of the LRA are in the Central African Republic. We do have reporting from our embassy in Bangui, based on credible missionary sources, of the most recent LRA attacks and those are in the CAR and not in the Darfur region. I will go back and look, and take a look very closely. I know John Prendergast, I have an enormous amount of respect for him as an individual and a professional. We read the Enough Project material, but I cannot substantiate it. As I say, my system has him in the CAR and not in the Darfur region.

"I have to say that Kony has been elusive to the Ugandan military as Osama bin Laden has been to allied operations in the Afghan-Pakistan area. It is very difficult terrain that he is operating in, it is very difficult to go after him, the Ugandans have made a real effort, but it has been real difficult." 

Congressman Royce: "The concern that I have though is that when we go into the Darfur region of Sudan, the guy there to show you around is John Prendergast. And his organization Enough Project really seems to have a handle on a lot of info. I met with him this morning on some other issues regarding Kony and some of these challenges in Darfur.

"But I think if they file a report that there is a contingent of the LRA that has taken refuge there in an area controlled by the regime, let's make sure that Sudan doesn't give this organization room to breath, because in the past it has. This is one thing I think that sometimes, the guy on the ground that lives and breathes this, has access to info that we don't have."