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MEMO TO: Members of Congress FROM: RESOLVE RE: Update on the LRA and KONY 2012 campaign Background Leadership from Congress over the past three years has been key to promoting effective U.S. efforts to help end violence being perpetrated by the LRA against communities across central Africa. After Congress unanimously passed the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act in 2010, President Obama issued the first-ever White House strategy to address the crisis in November of that year, outlining a comprehensive vision for U.S. engagement in the region. In 2011, leaders in Congress also secured a $35 million for counter-LRA efforts in the FY12 Defense Authorizations bill, and directed the Administration to spend 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 unprecedented advances in U.S. efforts. The most notable development in the strategys implementation thus far is the Presidents 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 Congress adequately in advance of this step, many Members from both parties and human rights groups, including Resolve also welcomed it as a boost for regional efforts. The deployment also brings significant secondorder benefits such as heightened attention to the crisis and new U.S. diplomatic leverage in the region. Since the Presidents strategy was released, Administration officials have also dedicated two new State Department staff positions to focus full-time on the issue, and provided modest increases in programs to help communities affected by the violence. However, increased international focus on the LRA over the past two years has not yet translated into meaningful progress on the ground. Though LRA attacks against civilians have trended downward since early 2010, no LRA commanders have been captured or killed in over two years, and estimates of the groups core fighting capacity have held relatively steady since late 2009. Recent reports from LRA escapees indicate that the groups commanders have adopted a strategy to lay low in an effort to wait out this period of heightened international attention. Furthermore, the fragile coalition of Ugandan, Congolese, South Sudanese, and Central African forces fighting the LRA has faltered, with relations among regional governments 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 and complemented. First, it is crucial that the deployment of U.S. military advisers is sustained as long as it is needed. Some Administration officials have indicated that the adviser deployment could be pulled back as early as spring of 2012, depending on progress on the ground and the political environment at home. This would 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 the locations of LRA groups and commanders also must be addressed. Second, heightened diplomacy in conjunction with the African Union is needed to strengthen commitment from regional governments and enhance cross-border cooperation. Finally, ongoing investments in USAID-led programs in the region especially early warning and telecommunications programs that help communities protect themselves, and programs that help LRA fighters and abductees defect from the group and return to their homes and families need to be dramatically expanded. Such investments have crosscutting humanitarian, protection, and economic benefits for affected communities, yet have been underfunded thus far. Current efforts in these areas are reaching only a fraction of affected communities.

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2012 Policy Vision The presence of U.S. military advisers in the region as well as increasing leadership from the AU and UN provides a clear window of opportunity for U.S. and international efforts in 2012 to end the LRAs threat to civilians. To realize this goal, Resolve in partnership with Invisible Children and Enough Project launched 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 its launch, the KONY 2012 film has been viewed by tens of millions of people around the world. Public interest in the LRA crisis has never been higher. Over the coming months, campaign supporters will be conducting advocacy efforts to advance specific policy 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. military advisers until the LRA no longer poses a serious threat to civilians. 2. Secure additional U.S. investments to address weaknesses in regional military operations, especially helicopters and intelligence-gathering tools, utilizing State Department funds and a $35 million authorization for counter-LRA efforts included in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. 3. Dramatically expand U.S. investment in communication and transportation infrastructure in LRAaffected 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-LRA efforts, address reverse a breakdown in relations among regional governments, which has created gaps in military operations and potential new safe havens for the LRA, and to ensure adequate troops are deployed to the region for civilian protection efforts. Opportunities for Congressional Action in 2012 There are a number of ways that Members of Congress can support the goals of the KONY 2012 campaign and help see an end to LRA atrocities. These include: 1. Supporting a bipartisan Kony 2012 resolution, which highlights the continuing impact of LRA violence on vulnerable civilians, welcomes the steps now being taken, and calls for complementary steps 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, expanded telecommunications infrastructure, and efforts to help LRA abductees defect, building on what was included in the 2012 bill. 3. Engaging directly with DOD and USAID to ensure funds included in 2012 authorizations and appropriations 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 information leading 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.