Chris Smith: “Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the condemnation of the Lord's Resistance Army expressed in S. 1067 and the bill's…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the condemnation of the Lord's Resistance Army expressed in S. 1067 and the bill's goal of supporting civilian protection and development in northern Uganda. Four years ago, I chaired a hearing of the Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee on: The Endangered Children of Northern Uganda. A courageous young woman named Grace Akallo testified about her abduction at the age of 15, together with 138 classmates at a boarding school, by the LRA. They and approximately 30,000 other children have endured horrifying atrocities as child soldiers and sex slaves. Ms. Akallo eventually escaped, and her remarkable story was recounted in a book entitled, 'Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda's Children,' that she coauthored with human rights activist Faith McDonnell. I highly recommend the book to my colleagues and anyone who wants to learn more about these incredible human rights violations and how we can all work together to address and to stop them. Ms. Akallo stated back in 2006 that, unfortunately, her story was not uncommon. And I sadly add that, unfortunately, it is still not uncommon. Joseph Kony continues to lead the LRA in the commission of outrageous abuses and atrocities, including the abduction, rape, and killing of innocent civilians, not only in northern Uganda, but also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Southern Sudan.”