U.S. CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

FROM:  STATE DEPARTMENT 
U.S. Condemns Renewed Violence in Central African Republic
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 26, 2014

The United States is deeply concerned by renewed inter-religious violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). We condemn attacks by both anti-Balaka and Seleka groups in Bangui and the provinces. We are also deeply disturbed by reports that some CAR leaders may be supporting attacks by anti-Balaka and Seleka, respectively, instead of working for peace and reconciliation.

Preventing the violence from gaining further momentum and costing more lives will require all of CAR’s leaders, past and present, to be clear in condemning it. We urge CAR’s past and present political leaders – including senior officials in the previous Bozize and Djotodia administrations such as Francois Bozize and Noureddine Adam – to call on their supporters to cease any and all attacks on civilians. The United States is prepared to consider targeted sanctions against those who further destabilize the situation, or pursue their own selfish ends by abetting or encouraging the violence. We will continue to work tirelessly with our international partners to hold accountable all those responsible for atrocities committed in CAR.

Last week’s selection of a transitional government offers the people of CAR an opportunity to rebuild their society and restore their tradition of tolerance. Today, I reiterate President Obama’s call for the citizens of CAR to follow a path of peace, rather than one of violence and retribution. The United States stands with Transitional President Samba-Panza as she seeks to bring all the parties together to end the violence foster reconciliation, and move her country toward elections not later than February 2015.

Restoring security in CAR is vital to stopping the violence and ending the dire humanitarian crisis jeopardizing the lives of the millions throughout the country. We continue to support efforts by the African Union, regional leaders, and our French allies to disarm all armed groups. We are transporting, equipping, training, and providing logistical support to African-led International Support Mission (MISCA) troops and have committed up to $101 million to do so.

We commend the commitment of the French, regional leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African Union, and other members of the international community to helping to restore stability to CAR. We urge all neighboring countries to ensure that no arms or other support to armed groups in the CAR transits their borders, and to take steps to prevent individuals on their territory from fueling the conflict.

U.S. TRANSPORTS RWANDAN SOLDIERS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Rwandan soldiers form up after a C-17 Globemaster III dropped them off in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane -

Refugees of the fighting in the Central African Republic observe Rwandan soldiers arriving to fight militants, Jan. 19, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane -

A Rwandan soldier exits a C-17 Globemaster III in the Central African Republic, Jan. 19, 2014. A refugee camp 100 yards away shows displaced residents due to fighting. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Crane -

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS IN PARIS

FROM:  STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
January 13, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much. Thank you. Nice to be back. I’m very grateful for Minister Fabius’s leadership yesterday in hosting our meeting. We work very closely, obviously, with France on many issues. I’m very grateful for our joint efforts with respect to Syria and Iran and the P5+1. And we particularly are grateful for the leadership that France has shown both in Mali and in the Central African Republic. It’s been very important, and we’re happy to work together on these issues and many more. Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (In French.)

SECRETARY KERRY: I forgot to mention we very much look forward to welcoming President Hollande when he comes next month. Very good. Merci.

FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Merci.

INITIAL AIRLIFT COMPLETE IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Airlift Operations Complete in Central African Republic
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2013 – Initial airlift operations are complete in the Central African Republic, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said here today.

A small U.S. Air Force support team and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft began airlift operations Dec. 12 in response to a French request for airlift support. The U.S. airmen conducted 16 flights from Burundi to the Central African Republic, Warren said, transporting 857 Burundi troops, 73 pallets of equipment and 18 Burundian military vehicles.

The Burundi troops -- a light infantry battalion -- are part of an African Union-led international support mission intended to help prevent the further spread of sectarian violence, Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a Dec. 9 statement.

Fewer than 10 Americans remain on the ground serving as liaisons with the French military, Warren said.

Also, three of the four U.S. service members wounded Dec. 21 in South Sudan have returned to the United States for treatment, Warren said. The fourth remains in a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

All four service members are in stable condition, a Defense Department spokesman said.

The service members were wounded when they attempted to evacuate Americans from the town of Bor, South Sudan, according to a U.S. Africa Command statement. They were hit by small-arms fire from unknown forces when their three CV-22 Osprey aircraft attempted to land in Bor. Africom is reviewing the incident, Warren said.

To date, more than 870 people have been evacuated from South Sudan on a mix of military and charter aircraft, he said. The Defense Department has flown three airlift missions with C-130 Hercules aircraft and one mission with a C-12 Huron.
Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez, Africom’s commander, ordered a platoon-sized element of Marines and a Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules aircraft to Entebbe, Uganda, on Dec. 24 to serve as a contingency force, Warren said. The Marines are part of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response, based at Moron Air Base, Spain, and were initially sent to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, before being moved to Uganda.

Rodriguez had earlier ordered elements of the East Africa Response Force to be positioned in Juba, South Sudan, to augment security at the embassy.

“This is all exactly what you’d expect [given the security situation],” Warren said. “It’s a combatant commander positioning forces in such a way that he’s got options.”

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC VIOLENCE: REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Violence in the Central African Republic
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 26, 2013

The United States is alarmed by the December 24 and 25 attacks in the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) by both Seleka and Anti-Balaka fighters against civilian populations in the capital Bangui. These attacks resulted in dozens of deaths, including several MISCA troops, and the large-scale displacement of those living in the northern part of the city.

We were deeply disturbed by the discovery on December 26 in Bangui of a mass grave containing over 20 bodies. The continued sectarian fighting only deepens the country’s wounds and makes reconciliation more difficult. The United States calls on the C.A.R. transitional authorities to immediately end the violence, end the use of torture, and investigate and prosecute all those implicated in grave human rights abuses.

The United States believes that this crisis can only be resolved through a political process that leads to fair and inclusive elections as soon as possible, but not later than February 2015, so that C.A.R. can have a legitimate government that represents the will of the people.

The United States commends the African Union-led stabilization mission in the C.A.R., MISCA, and the French forces operating as part of Operation Sangaris, for their commitment to ending the violence and establishing an environment in which a political transition to a democratically elected government can take place. We are confident the French and MISCA forces will act robustly to protect equally all civilian populations, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation.

We call on the C.A.R. transitional authorities to take every possible step to end violence and promote reconciliation and to provide all necessary support to MISCA and French troops in their efforts to disarm both Seleka and Anti-Balaka groups and to allow for unhindered humanitarian access to those in need.

As President Obama said, “Every citizen of the Central African Republic can show the courage that’s needed right now. You can show your love for your country by rejecting the violence that would tear it apart. You can choose peace.”

U.S. TO PROVIDE MILITARY AIRLIFT SUPPORT IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT FRENCH REQUEST 
U.S. Responds to French Request for Airlift Support
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2013 – In response to a request from France, the U.S. military will provide airlift support to enable African forces to deploy promptly to prevent the further spread of sectarian violence in the Central African Republic, Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a statement released today.
Woog’s statement reads as follows:

Last evening in Kabul, Secretary Hagel spoke with French Minister of Defense Yves Le Drian about the security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), where, under the authority of a UN Security Council Resolution, French forces are assisting the African Union-led international support mission to provide humanitarian assistance and establish an environment that supports a political transition to a democratically elected government.

Minister Le Drian requested limited assistance from the United States military to support this international effort. In the near term, France has requested airlift support to enable African forces to deploy promptly to prevent the further spread of sectarian violence in the Central African Republic.

In response to this request, Secretary Hagel has directed U.S. AFRICOM to begin transporting forces from Burundi to the Central African Republic, in coordination with France.

The United States is joining the international community in this effort because of our belief that immediate action is required to avert a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in the Central African Republic, and because of our interest in peace and security in the region. We continue to work to identify additional resources that might be available to help address further requests for assistance to support the international community’s efforts in CAR.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS ON INTERNATIONAL MISSION IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Support for the African Union International Support Mission in the Central African Republic
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 20, 2013

I am deeply concerned by the ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic and the deplorable levels of violence and lawlessness that affect millions of people every day. In the continuing aftermath of the March 2013 overthrow of the government by the Seleka rebel alliance, militia groups are now organizing themselves along increasingly sectarian lines and engaging in a cycle of retaliatory abuses against civilians. At this moment, the United States sees no evidence that the CAR transitional government has the capacity or political will to end the violence, especially the abuses committed by elements of the Seleka rebel alliance that are affiliated with the government.

Pending notification to the United States Congress, the Department of State plans to provide $40 million in assistance to MISCA, the African Union-led peacekeeping mission in the CAR, to help protect civilians and provide security throughout the country. This assistance may provide logistical backing, non-lethal equipment, training, and planning support. In the immediate term, we believe that MISCA is the best mechanism to help quickly address the ongoing violence in the CAR and prevent further atrocities. MISCA is also in the best position to help establish an environment that allows for the provision of humanitarian assistance and an eventual political transition to a democratically elected government.

There are nearly 400,000 internally displaced persons and over 220,000 CAR refugees in neighboring countries, including approximately 68,000 new refugees who have fled in recent months. In the past year, the U.S. government has provided more than $24 million in humanitarian assistance to support programs that provide food, health services, and other aid in the CAR. We have also provided an additional $6 million in humanitarian assistance to specifically support new Central African refugees.

We call on the region and the international community to support and fully deploy MISCA in order to restore security in the country, and we will continue to work with others in the region and the international community to implement a credible political transition and assist the people of the CAR who have suffered so greatly in this conflict.

U.S. CONCERENED WITH SITUATION IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

 

Locator Map:  Central African Republic.  Credit:  CIA.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPEARMENT
Situation in the Central African Republic
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 30, 2013

The United States remains deeply concerned about the serious deterioration in the security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). We strongly condemn the illegitimate seizure of power by force by the Seleka rebel alliance, Michel Djotodia’s self-appointment as president, and his suspension of the constitution and National Assembly. We also condemn Seleka’s unlawful designation of a head of state or any other unilateral decisions involving the future governance of the country. The only legitimate government in the CAR is the government of national unity led by Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye.

Any decisions on the future governance of the country must be taken in an inclusive and transparent manner, consistent with the Libreville Agreement which was approved by all sides, overseen by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and recognized by the African Union. We urge the country’s leadership to quickly establish an open and legitimate process leading to presidential elections and the reestablishment of a constitutional government. The African Union has already suspended the CAR’s membership, and the country risks further alienation from the international community and regional partners. We also urge the regional leaders from ECCAS to vigorously continue their efforts to secure peace and stability in the CAR in furtherance of the Libreville Agreement.

We are also deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation both in Bangui and the interior of the CAR. We condemn the widespread looting of humanitarian organizations and hospitals, which has deprived civilians of urgently needed assistance. All parties must work to ensure the safety of the civilian population and allow unhindered humanitarian access.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. In March, 2003 President Ange-Felix PATASSE was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. The militant group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to destabilize southeastern Central African Republic, and several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 to launch a series of attacks that left them in control of numerous towns in the northern and central parts of the country. The rebels - who are unhappy with BOZIZE's government - participated in peace talks in early January 2013 which resulted in a coalition government including the rebellion's leadership.

U.S. CONCERNED OVER DETERIOATING SITUATION IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Deteriorating Situation in the Central African Republic
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 17, 2013

The United States is deeply concerned about the continued deterioration in the security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). We call on President Bozize and the leadership of the Seleka alliance to cease hostilities immediately, and implement the provisions of the Libreville Agreement.

The Economic Community of Central African States (CEAAC) should rapidly convene the mediation committee called for by the Libreville Agreement in order to support the transitional government and help restore national peace and security. The Government of National Unity is the single, representative entity agreed to by all the parties in the Libreville Agreement to govern the country in this critical transitional period. Parties should therefore act within this political framework and refrain from acts that undermine it. We strongly urge regional leadership and the international community to adhere to the Libreville Agreement and provide their full support to Prime Minister Tiangaye and his government.

The United States urgently calls on the Seleka leadership and on the CAR government to ensure that their forces respect the human rights of the Central African people. We are very concerned by the worsening humanitarian situation in CAR and credible, widespread reports of human rights abuses by both national security forces and Seleka fighters. Perpetrators of such abuses must be held accountable.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC SECURITY DETERIORATION CAUSES U.S. CONCERN

 

Map:  Central African Republic.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Situation in the Central African Republic
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 31, 2012

We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). We call on the rebel alliance to cease hostilities and movements towards the capital. We also call on the rebels to ensure the safety of the civilian population.

We urgently call on the CAR government to ensure that its security forces respect the human rights of the Central African people and foreign populations within the CAR. We are particularly concerned by allegations of arrests and disappearances of hundreds of individuals who are members of ethnic groups with ties to the Séléka rebel alliance. Those guilty of violations and crimes under international law must be held to account.

The United States remains concerned about stability of the region and encourages all parties in the CAR to participate in the dialogue convoked by the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC in French). We urge the parties to seek a political resolution to this crisis that is comprehensive, inclusive, and consistent with the CAR constitution and the 2008 Global Peace Agreement.

Locator Map:  Central African Republic.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK


The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as severely flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Militant group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well.

U.S. SUSPENDS EMBASSY OPERATIONS IN BANGUI

Map:  Central African Republic.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Temporary Suspension of U.S. Embassy Bangui Operations
Press Statement
Patrick Ventrell
Acting Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 27, 2012
　

The U.S. Embassy in Bangui temporarily suspended its operations on December 28 as a result of the present security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). We have not suspended diplomatic relations with the Central African Republic.

Ambassador Wohlers and his diplomatic team left Bangui today along with several private U.S. citizens. As a result of this suspension of operations, the embassy will not be able to provide routine consular services to American citizens in the Central African Republic until further notice.

This decision is solely due to concerns about the security of our personnel and has no relation to our continuing and long-standing diplomatic relations with the CAR.

The United States encourages all parties in the Central African Republic to participate in the dialogue to be held under the auspices of the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) to develop a comprehensive agreement that will offer a new vision of peace and security for the country.　



Central African Republic Locator Map.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as severely flawed. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Militant group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well

U.S. GIVES SUPPORT TO ANTI-LRA FORCES

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

U.S. Supports Pushback Against Lord's Resistance Army

By Karen Parrish

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 - The United States is part of a successful effort to help counter the Lord's Resistance Army in Central Africa, but a four-pillared approach to neutralizing the terrorist group must continue, senior defense, diplomatic and aid officials told senators here yesterday.

That approach, officials explained, includes increasing protection for civilians in LRA-affected areas, apprehending and removing Joseph Kony and other LRA leaders, disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating remaining LRA fighters, and sustaining humanitarian relief to affected areas.

Amanda J. Dory, deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for African affairs, joined Donald Yamamoto, principal deputy assistant Secretary of State for African affairs, and Earl Gast, U.S. Agency for International Development assistant administrator for Africa, in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's African Affairs Subcommittee yesterday.

The LRA is composed mostly of kidnapped children forced to conduct Kony's terrorist tactics over the past 20 years, administration officials have said. Tens of thousands of people have been murdered and as many as 1.8 million have been displaced by the LRA, they said.

President Barack Obama announced April 23 that a U.S. military advise-and-assist mission to Central Africa, begun in October, will remain in place with periodic review.

"Our advisers will continue their efforts to bring this madman to justice and to save lives," the president said in announcing the mission's extension.

The 100-member U.S. team of trainers is working to help nations affected by the LRA to "help realize a future where no African child is stolen from their family and no girl is raped and no boy is turned into a child soldier," Obama said.

Dory described U.S. contributions to the effort, which include training local forces and assisting in intelligence and logistics coordination.

"The militaries of Uganda, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in collaboration with the African Union, continue to pursue the LRA and seek to protect local populations," she said. "They are leading this effort."

U.S. advisors in Uganda synchronize and oversee the department's counter-LRA efforts and coordinate with Ugandan forces, she said, while other U.S. service members work in field locations with forces from Uganda, the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

"U.S. advisors have helped to set up operations fusion centers to enable daily coordination, information sharing and tactical coordination," she said. "[They] are also integrating local civilian leaders into the work of the partner forces to improve the effectiveness of the civil-military relations."

Yamamoto said the State Department's role in the counter-LRA mission largely involves multinational coordination.

"We are coordinating closely with the United Nations peacekeeping missions in the region, especially to promote civilian protection," he said. "We have encouraged the U.N. to scale up its efforts when possible. We are also working very closely with the African Union to increase its efforts to address the LRA."

Gast said USAID has worked in Africa since the late 1980s to help communities build security, to reintegrate children formerly abducted by the LRA, and to strengthen economic development in affected areas.

"As the conflict first began to exact severe economic losses, cause mass displacement and weaken governance in Northern Uganda, USAID focused on providing lifesaving assistance to those affected by the conflict," Gast said. "When the LRA was finally driven out of Northern Uganda, our programs shifted from relief to recovery and then to longer-term development, which is taking place now."

Dory noted the LRA operates in a remote and rugged zone that includes parts of several countries. U.S. forces have effectively only been in the area since December and January, she said, but they have seen results from their efforts.

"We believe the U.S. military advisors have established a good foundation and made initial progress, especially considering the complexity of the operating environment, the number of partners involved and the remoteness of the operational areas," Dory said. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely with our interagency partners to ensure our support is having the intended impact."
 

AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO STATEMENT ON THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Testimony for Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs
“Countering the Lord’s Resistance Army”
Ambassador Donald Yamamoto,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to update the committee about
our ongoing efforts to help end the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army
(LRA).  Over the last several years, the governments of the region have made
progress dispersing the LRA and reducing its numbers.  However, despite this
progress, the LRA continues to abduct, terrorize, and uproot communities across
three countries – the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan.  The LRA is a weakened force, but its
humanitarian impact remains disproportionate.  The UN Office of Coordination for
Humanitarian Affairs estimated that more than 465,000 people were displaced or
living as refugees during 2011 as a result of the LRA threat.
Mr. Chairman, we believe that the LRA’s actions are an affront to human
dignity and a threat to regional stability.  Joseph Kony and the LRA’s top leaders
should be brought to justice.

We appreciate Congress’ strong interest and longstanding concern about the
LRA, especially the attention given by this Committee over the years.  We view
Congress as a critical partner in our ongoing efforts.  The United States has worked
for many years to help address the suffering caused by the LRA.  Consistent with
the legislation passed in 2010, we continue to pursue a multi-faceted strategy to
help the governments and people of this region in their efforts to end the threat
posed by the LRA and address the human consequences of the LRA’s atrocities.  
Let me stress that the governments of Uganda, CAR, DRC, and South Sudan
are in the lead.  Their troops are making the most important sacrifices, and their
people are confronting the LRA’s terror.  These governments are the ones that are
ultimately responsible for ending this threat and protecting local communities.  The
United States is trying to help them fulfill that responsibility.  We have a strong
interest in enhancing the capacity and cooperation of our partners in Africa to
address threats to peace and security, such as the LRA, and to better protect their
citizens.

Continued leadership and cooperation by these governments is essential to
keep the pressure on the LRA.  As we have seen in the past, the LRA can exploit
any reduction in military or diplomatic pressure to regroup and rebuild its forces.
Over recent years, the State Department has provided support to enable counterLRA operations by our regional partners.  Since 2008, we have obligated
approximately $50 million in logistical support to help the Ugandan military
sustain its operations and increase its mobility.  We continue to provide this
support.

In the DRC, the State Department funded training and equipment for a light
infantry battalion of the Congolese army that is now operating in LRA-affected
areas of the DRC.  This battalion is engaged in targeted military operations against
the LRA in coordination with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the
DRC (MONUSCO).  The State Department continues to fund two mentors who are
working with this battalion.  We are also engaging with the militaries of CAR and
South Sudan as they increase their efforts to counter the LRA and protect their
populations.

Mr. Chairman, we continue to look at ways that we can improve our security
assistance and enhance the capacity of these militaries to succeed in their mission.
Last October, President Obama authorized the deployment of a small number of
U.S. military forces to serve as advisors to the national military forces pursuing the
LRA and seeking to protect local populations.  The President announced yesterday
that the United States will continue the deployment.  My colleague from the
Department of Defense will go into more detail on the work of these advisors.  We
believe they are helping the partner forces to enhance their cooperation,
intelligence-sharing and fusion, and operational planning.
The U.S. military advisors are coordinating closely with the UN
peacekeeping missions in the region, especially to promote civilian protection.

MONUSCO, in particular, has stepped up its efforts to address the LRA in the
DRC.  MONUSCO conducts targeted military operations unilaterally as well as
jointly with the Congolese military to help protect civilians.  We have encouraged
the UN to scale up its efforts, when possible, to help address the LRA threat in
CAR and South Sudan.  The new UN Regional Office for Central Africa is
overseeing the developing of a regional UN strategy for addressing the LRA,
which will be presented to the UN Security Council next month.  We have been
working with the UN to develop this strategy and look forward to helping the UN
implement it.

We are also working closely with the African Union as it increases its efforts
to address the LRA.  Last month, the AU officially launched its Regional 3
Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the LRA.  Although many operational
details are still being worked out, we believe the AU’s involvement can strengthen
coordination, information-sharing, and trust among the four militaries pursuing the
LRA.  We also believe the AU can help the governments in the region to develop a
common approach to encouraging LRA defections and ensuring effective
repatriation and reintegration of those who defect.  Our military advisors in the
field are coordinating with the AU staff as they stand up this initiative on the
ground, and our embassies are working closely with the AU’s Special Envoy on
the LRA issue, Francisco Madeira.

These new initiatives, united together, offer real promise.  However, as
Chairman Kerry wrote in The Huffington Post earlier this month, we have to level
with the American public that ending the LRA threat is not an easy mission.  The
LRA operates in very small groups across vast territory roughly the size of
California, much of it densely-forested.  Regional forces have had success in
tracking down LRA groups, but the LRA’s leaders are savvy.  They exploit
communal conflicts and attack remote communities, which lack basic road,
telecommunications and governance infrastructure.  Moreover, the governments in
this region have limited capabilities and numerous security challenges.
Mr. Chairman, effectively ending the LRA threat requires simultaneously
removing the top leadership from the battlefield and addressing the conditions that
leave communities so vulnerable to predatory groups such as the LRA.  This is
precisely why the United States is seeking to pursue a multi-faceted strategy to
enhance both military and civilian capacity in the region.   In partnership with
USAID, the State Department is supporting projects to increase civilian protection,
enhance early warning capabilities, deliver humanitarian relief, and strengthen the
overall resiliency of communities.  We also continue to encourage other
international donors to increase their efforts in these areas.  As we have seen in
northern Uganda and parts of South Sudan, development can play a critical role in
pushing out the LRA and keeping it from returning.

We also believe that targeted efforts, in coordination with increased military
pressure, to encourage LRA fighters to peacefully surrender can have a great effect
on reducing the LRA’s numbers.  Since 2000, more than 12,000 fighters and
abductees have left the group and been reintegrated and reunited with their families
through Uganda’s Amnesty Commission.  The successful rehabilitation and
reintegration of those who leave the LRA creates a positive feedback cycle that
encourages others to defect.

MONUSCO is undertaking critical efforts in the DRC to encourage LRA
defections, including by setting up assembly points where LRA fighters and
associated persons can safely surrender.  The Mission is publicizing the locations
of these assembly points through targeted radio broadcasts and leaflets.  We
strongly support these efforts and have encouraged the UN to initiate similar,
coordinated activities in CAR and South Sudan.  We are also looking at ways that
we can augment these activities through our programs and presence on the ground.
The State Department has deployed a civilian officer to the region who is working
with our military advisors and embassies to identify critical gaps and opportunities
for further U.S. support.  We plan to deploy a second officer soon.

Mr. Chairman, we believe there is an opportunity for further U.S. support to
the counter-LRA effort using the State Department’s War Crimes Rewards
Program.  This program allows the Secretary of State to publicize and pay rewards
for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of targeted war criminals.
This program has been very effective in bringing fugitives to justice, but the
present statutory authority is limited to fugitives indicted by the International
Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and the Special Court
for Sierra Leone.

We welcome legislation that would expand the authority for the War Crimes
Reward Program so it could be used to target foreign nationals accused of war
crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide by any international criminal
tribunal, including hybrid or mixed courts.  This would shift the program from
being court-specific to crime-specific.  Fugitives would only be added to the
program after careful review and approval by an interagency committee, and
ultimately the Secretary of State.

Under this expanded authority, we could use the program to target Joseph
Kony and other top LRA commanders.  We could publicize rewards for
information about LRA leaders using leaflets, radio broadcasts, and other
communications mechanisms.  We believe, and our colleagues at the Defense
Department agree, that this would provide an important tool to generate
information about the whereabouts of top LRA leaders, especially to encourage
non-indicted LRA fighters to defect and provide such information.
In closing, let me reiterate that it is our partners in the region – governments and
civil society organizations – who are in the lead in countering the LRA threat and
its impacts.  But the United States can provide critical capabilities and support to help them succeed in their efforts.  We believe doing so puts us on the right side of
history, on the right side of our values, and on the right side of our strategic
interests.   We appreciate Congress’ strong commitment to countering the LRA,
and we look forward to working with you in the months ahead.

PRESIDENT OBAMA STRENGTHENS U.S. ABILITY TO DEAL WITH GENOCIDE AND MASS ATROCITIES

FROM AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Obama Announces Strategy to Counter Atrocities

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2012 - President Barack Obama today announced a strategy to strengthen the U.S. government's ability to foresee, prevent, and respond to genocide and mass atrocities, and extended U.S. troops' efforts to do just that in Central Africa.

During a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum here, Obama said preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility for the United States.

"That does not mean that we intervene militarily every time there's an injustice in the world," the president said. "We cannot and should not. It does mean we possess many tools, diplomatic and political and economic and financial and intelligence and law enforcement, and our moral suasion."

Obama's strategy calls for the Defense Department to develop doctrine and increase training and planning efforts emphasizing mass atrocity prevention and response.

Obama announced the creation of the Atrocities Prevention Board, which will include Defense Department representatives as well as those from the departments of State, Treasury, Justice, and Homeland Security; the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the office of the director of National Intelligence, the CIA, and the office of the vice president, according to White House officials.

The board will help identify and address atrocity threats, and will oversee institutional changes to make the U.S. government "more nimble and effective" is response to such threats, administration officials said.

The strategy also increases diplomatic and intelligence efforts to identify and respond to atrocities, they said.

Obama said the United States over the past three years has helped to counter mass atrocities in Libya, South Sudan and Cote d'Ivoire.

The military mission to help counter the Lord's Resistance Army, a terrorist group in central Africa led by Joseph Kony, demonstrated how U.S. forces can support national and international efforts to quell atrocities, Obama said.

About a hundred U.S. military advisors, mostly from the Army's Special Forces, have been working since October with the militaries of Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan to capture or kill Kony and other LRA commanders under an Obama executive order.

When he announced that mission, the president directed the National Security Council to review its progress after 150 days.

Today, Obama said, "I can announce that our advisers will continue their efforts to bring this madman to justice and to save lives. It is part of our regional strategy ... to end the scourge that is the LRA and help realize a future where no African child is stolen from their family and no girl is raped and no boy is turned into a child soldier."

The LRA is composed mostly of kidnapped children forced to execute Kony's terrorist tactics over the past 20 years, administration officials have said. Tens of thousands of people have been murdered and as many as 1.8 million have been displaced by the LRA, they said.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby told reporters today the U.S. advisors in central Africa have had "a significant impact ... improving the capabilities of indigenous forces there to put pressure on the LRA."

The advisors' role, Kirby emphasized, is training and assistance, not combat. He added that the U.S. assistance is helping.

"We've seen indications that [Kony] and his followers are less active and less effective," he said.