WASHINGTON – In anticipation of the one year anniversary of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 becoming law, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR)  and colleagues today sent a letter urging the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs calling on them to ensure that sufficient resources are made available to disarm the LRA, which has displaced thousands of people across South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Central African Republic. 

In the letter, the Senators express “concern about the ongoing crisis in areas of central Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a group that terrorizes civilians and has abducted tens of thousands of children in the past 25 years.”  They conclude that, “Resources invested in ending this conflict now will not only save innocent lives, but also reduce the need for expensive emergency humanitarian aid and promote stability in one of Africa’s most volatile regions." 

In November 2010, as mandated by the bipartisan LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, President Obama issued a comprehensive strategy aimed at bringing LRA commanders to justice and ending the group’s campaign of violence.  Today, Senators Menendez and Boozman are joined by 18 of their colleagues in a bipartisan effort to ensure that the strategy becomes a reality, and reaffirm their commitment to saving lives, protecting civilians, and finally bringing one of Africa’s most longstanding human rights crises to an end. 

Click below for the full text of the letter.