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January 19, 2011

Investigating allegations that the Sudanese government is supplying or giving safe haven to LRA commanders will require the US to dedicate more diplomatic and intelligence resources to the task. US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice should also work at the UN Security Council to ensure that UN peacekeepers in South Sudan and UN/AU peacekeepers in Darfur launch a credible investigation and establish a UN mechanism to improve the Council's monitoring of the LRA.

When I was in Uganda I saw US military in the country to assist the Ugandan military, especially in their efforts to apprehend LRA commanders. For more than two years, Ugandan army troops have pursued the LRA through Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan . While They have captured or killed several senior LRA commanders and protected some towns from LRA raids, they have failed to protect civilians from attacks that have killed more than 2,300 civilians and displaced 400,000. Human rights abuses by the Ugandan military and security forces within Uganda raise further concerns for continued US support.

Our friends are Resolve--http://www.theresolve.org partner with Genocide Intervention, Enough, Human Rights Watch, Invisible Children and MercyCorps, Humanity United among others. They recommend:
"President Obama's leadership is urgently needed to find viable alternatives. He should work with international and regional partners, including the United Nations Security Council and the African Union, to seek a multilateral mandate and more effective forces to apprehend LRA commanders and protect civilians.

"Additionally, President Obama should reinvigorate regional efforts to encourage mid-level and senior LRA commanders to defect from the LRA. The US should also pressure the Ugandan government to ensure more rapid progress on rebuilding northern Uganda, as research indicates that opportunities for work will encourage LRA commanders to leave the rebel group. Finally, the Ugandan government should establish clear legal guidelines and precedent for receiving LRA commanders who defect, as this is key to convincing LRA commanders still in the bush to lay down their arms.

"By taking these actions, President Obama can help move his strategy from a piece of paper to proactive action on the ground to prevent LRA commanders from holding hundreds of thousands of people across central Africa hostage."


Honoring Dr. King
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:"
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
 
 
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