8/2/2019 2012 Memo to Congressional Leaders

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MEMO

TO: Members of CongressFROM: RESOLVERE: Update on the LRA and KONY 2012 campaign

BackgroundLeadership from Congress over the past three years has been key to promoting effective U.S. efforts to helpend violence being perpetrated by the LRA against communities across central Africa. After Congressunanimously passed theLRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Actin 2010, President Obamaissued the first-ever White House strategy to address the crisis in November of that year, outlining acomprehensive vision for U.S. engagement in the region. In 2011, leaders in Congress also secured a $35million for counter-LRA efforts in the FY12 Defense Authorizations bill, and directed the Administration tospend up to $10 million for key civilian-led programs in the FY12 State and Foreign Operations budget.

As a result, President Obamas first year of implementing his LRA strategy resulted in some unprecedentedadvances in U.S. efforts. The most notable development in the strategys implementation thus far is thePresidents decision to deploy approximately 100 U.S. military advisers to help governments in the region

protect civilians from LRA violence and apprehend the groups leaders, announced in October of 2011.Though the Administration was criticized by some Members of Congress for not consulting Congressadequately in advance of this step, many Members from both partiesand human rights groups, includingResolvealso welcomed it as a boost for regional efforts. The deployment also brings significant second-order benefits such as heightened attention to the crisis and new U.S. diplomatic leverage in the region. Sincethe Presidents strategy was released, Administration officials have also dedicated two new State Departmentstaff positions to focus full-time on the issue, and provided modest increases in programs to helpcommunities affected by the violence.

However, increased international focus on the LRA over the past two years has not yet translated intomeaningful progress on the ground. Though LRA attacks against civilians have trended downward sinceearly 2010, no LRA commanders have been captured or killed in over two years, and estimates of thegroups core fighting capacity have held relatively steady since late 2009. Recent reports from LRA escapeesindicate that the groups commanders have adopted a strategy to lay low in an effort to wait out this periodof heightened international attention. Furthermore, the fragile coalition of Ugandan, Congolese, SouthSudanese, and Central African forces fighting the LRA has faltered, with relations among regionalgovernments deteriorating. This has led to a status quo that could allow the LRA to sustain itself indefinitely.

If U.S. and international efforts to end LRA atrocities are to succeed, current efforts need to be sustained andcomplemented. First, it is crucial that the deployment of U.S. military advisers is sustained as long as it isneeded. Some Administration officials have indicated that the adviser deployment could be pulled back asearly as spring of 2012, depending on progress on the ground and the political environment at home. Thiswould severely undermine regional counter-LRA efforts. Additional gaps in regional military efforts,including an absence of tactical airlift, inadequate troop numbers, and lack of timely intelligence on thelocations of LRA groups and commanders also must be addressed.

Second, heightened diplomacyin conjunction with the African Unionis needed to strengthencommitment from regional governments and enhance cross-border cooperation. Finally, ongoing investmentsin USAID-led programs in the regionespecially early warning and telecommunications programs that helpcommunities protect themselves, and programs that help LRA fighters and abductees defect from the groupand return to their homes and familiesneed to be dramatically expanded. Such investments havecrosscutting humanitarian, protection, and economic benefits for affected communities, yet have beenunderfunded thus far. Current efforts in these areas are reaching only a fraction of affected communities.

8/2/2019 2012 Memo to Congressional Leaders

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2012 Policy VisionThe presence of U.S. military advisers in the regionas well as increasing leadership from the AU and UNprovides a clear window of opportunity for U.S. and international efforts in 2012 to end the LRAs threat tocivilians. To realize this goal, Resolvein partnership with Invisible Children and Enough Projectlaunched KONY 2012, a nationwide campaign to draw attention to the crimes being committed by Joseph

Kony, the leader of the LRA, and promote efforts to see a lasting end to the groups atrocities. Since itslaunch, the KONY 2012 film has been viewed by tens of millions of people around the world. Public interestin the LRA crisis has never been higher.

Over the coming months, campaign supporters will be conducting advocacy efforts to advance specificpolicy measures to help affected communities. The KONY 2012 campaign has four U.S. policy goals:

1. Build broad, bipartisan public and political support to sustain the deployment of U.S. militaryadvisers until the LRA no longer poses a serious threat to civilians.

2. Secure additional U.S. investments to address weaknesses in regional military operations, especiallyhelicopters and intelligence-gathering tools, utilizing State Department funds and a $35 millionauthorization for counter-LRA efforts included in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.

3. Dramatically expand U.S. investment in communication and transportation infrastructure in LRA-affected areas and in programs to help LRA fighters and abductees escape.

4. Promote high-level U.S. diplomatic leadership to engage other donor countries in counter-LRAefforts, address reverse a breakdown in relations among regional governments, which has createdgaps in military operations and potential new safe havens for the LRA, and to ensure adequate troopsare deployed to the region for civilian protection efforts.

Opportunities for Congressional Action in 2012There are a number of ways that Members of Congress can support the goals of the KONY 2012 campaignand help see an end to LRA atrocities. These include:

1. Supporting a bipartisan Kony 2012 resolution, which highlights the continuing impact of LRAviolence on vulnerable civilians, welcomes the steps now being taken, and calls for complementarysteps to be taken to make 2012 the year the crisis is ended.

2. Seeking at least $10 million in the FY13 budget for USAID early warning programs, expandedtelecommunications infrastructure, and efforts to help LRA abductees defect, building on what wasincluded in the 2012 bill.

3. Engaging directly with DOD and USAID to ensure funds included in 2012 authorizations andappropriations bills are utilized effectively.

4. Organizing a Congressional delegation to the region.5. Helping secure passage for Rewards for Justice legislation, introduced by Representative Ed Royce

(R-CA) in the House but not yet in the Senate. This legislation would authorize funds for informationleading to the capture or killing of LRA commanders wanted by the International Criminal Court,providing an important tool to gather timely intelligence and cause divisions within the LRA ranks.