Senate passes resolution condemning Joseph Kony

By Ramsey Cox - 08/03/12 02:34 PM ET

The Senate unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday night condemning the crimes against humanity committed by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda.

“Kony and the LRA have terrorized Uganda and its neighbors in central Africa for more than two decades, tearing families apart and destroying communities,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), the lead sponsor of the resolution. “Joseph Kony represents the worst of mankind, and he and his commanders must be held accountable for their war crimes.”

Kony has been accused of ordering the abduction of children to become sex slaves and soldiers. He was indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court in 2005 but has evaded capture.

S. Res. 402 also expresses the Senate’s support of ongoing international efforts to remove Kony from the battlefield and calls for the United States to continue to enhance its mobility, intelligence and logistical support of regional forces protecting civilians and pursuing the LRA. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Uganda this week speaking with its president about the efforts in the region.

President Obama sent 100 troops to Uganda to help track down Kony in 2011. This spring, a popular You Tube video and Internet campaign called on Obama and lawmakers to do more. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) made an appearance in the video, pleading for his colleagues to act.

In 2011, Congress passed the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, introduced by Inhofe. He also co-sponsored — with 45 other senators — Coons’s bipartisan resolution.

“We must keep the pressure up to help Africans bring these heinous acts to an end,” Inhofe said. “Bringing Kony and the LRA to an end will remove a major destabilizing force while providing better security for the people of Africa.”

The resolution also calls on the president to keep Congress fully informed of U.S. efforts and to work closely with Congress to identify and address critical gaps in efforts to counter the LRA.