Howard Berman: “today I speak in strong support of H. Con. Res. 309, which condemns the forced abduction of children by the rebel Lord's…”

“today I speak in strong support of H. Con. Res. 309, which condemns the forced abduction of children by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda. I thank my esteemed colleague Mr. Payne for introducing this resolution. I also thank my fellow cosponsors: International Relations Committee Chairman Gilman, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Hastings, Ms. McKinney, Ms. Brown and Ms. Norton. It is time for the U.S. Congress to add its voice to those demanding an end to the atrocities suffered by children in northern Uganda. The LRA, a bizarre Christian group supported by the fundamentalist Islamic government of Sudan, has kidnapped some 10,000 Ugandan children and forced them to fight as insurgents. Some of these children are as young as eight years old. Captive children raid and loot villages and serve in the front lines against the Ugandan army. They are also forced to help kill other abducted children who try to escape. Young teenage girls suffer the additional horror of serving as "wives" to ranking rebel soldiers. If they resist, they are beaten, sometimes severely. Girls may be given to several men in the course of a year. In July, the International Relations Committee heard moving firsthand testimony about the abductions from Sister Mary Rose Atuu, from the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu. Sister Atuu told of the harrowing 1992 abduction of 44 girls by LRA rebels from the school where she was a teacher.”