Militarization of US Africa Policy
Update on Northern Uganda/LRA Bill
Posted on December 15, 2009
Thanks again to everyone who signed our online petition earlier this year regarding the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 (S. 1067, H.R. 2478). You’ll be happy to know that we succeeded in sounding the alarm about the bill’s readiness to encourage unspecified military action against the LRA and its leader, Joseph Kony. A revised version of the bill features considerable changes, including an emphasis on multilateral approaches to addressing LRA violence, a clarification that military action would only be taken in the “continued absence of a negotiated solution,” and a nod toward the importance of civilian protection in any endeavor. The changes also strengthened the commitment to transitional justice and reconstruction in Uganda.
Yet AFJN and our partner organizations feel the changes do not go far enough. The vague support for negotiated solutions still leaves the door wide open for AFRICOM and fails to appreciate the risks such actions would pose to civilian lives and genuine peace in the region. Thus, we continue to write articles and to dialogue with the Hill offices to emphasize that this bill should be about peace, through and through. AFJN staff recently helped arrange a visit from Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban from Southern Sudan with Senator Feingold’s office to emphasize the importance of a peaceful solution to the crisis. Two Comboni sisters who worked in the region are going to visit the same office in December with the help of our office to deliver a similar message.
Mid-November, the Senate Foreign Relations gave its unanimous support for the new version of the bill, making it eligible for a vote on the Senate floor. It’s not too late to let your representatives know that this bill should be about peace and should not be seen as a go-ahead for the military. Check our website or the ResistAFRICOM website (www.resistafricom.org) for more!
Alternatives to AFRICOM
Alternatives and Recommendations for AFRICOM
Instead of establishing a military command, the US government should promote a just security doctrine. AFRICOM is not what the people of Africa need and it is not what will achieve long-term stability on the continent. What is needed is a boost in education, job opportunities, health care, debt relief, fair trade policies, and many other things that would ensure development, peace and prosperity.
With enough pressure from the American people, Congress can decline to fund AFRICOM in the coming defense appropriations cycle. When President Bush unveiled his FY2009 Defense Budget, within it, he requested $389 million for the AFRICOM headquarter operations in Stuttgart, millions more for operations on the continent, and a continuation of the funding for the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa located in Djibouti.
It is our hope that Congress will take this stand against AFRICOM. However, if AFRICOM must be established, we insist that:
- The role of Ambassadors as point-persons in US-Africa policy is maintained and that the command structure is delineated to ensure that diplomatic efforts do not fall under the jurisdiction of the military.
- Congress has sufficient oversight whether through regular reports or a special committee.
- Restrictions are placed on funding to ensure that private military sub-contractors are never used to carry out the mandate of AFRICOM.
- Restrictions are placed on funding to ensure that the military is under the same guidance as the State Department and that human rights violations never occur.
- When training and equipping foreign armies, local communities are made fully aware of US presence and its intended goals.
- The military acts in the most culturally respectful way possible when engaging in activities on the continent.
- Every decision is made with the interests of Africans in mind.
- Long overdue attention is given to the development and dimplomacy facets of foreign relations, including increased funding and a reform of the Foreign Assistance Act.
AFJN Opposes Military Language in Northern Uganda Bill
Posted June 23, 2009A few weeks ago, two of AFJN’s core issues – AFRICOM and northern Uganda – came together in a bittersweet piece of legislation by the U.S. Congress. While it provides crucial development aid and support for transitional justice, the new bill (S. 1067, H.R. 2478) also includes a statement of policy that may allow the U.S. military to pursue Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in D.R. Congo.
AFJN strongly supports many parts of the legislation. However, we believe that allowing AFRICOM to assist in an attack against the LRA is a recipe for disaster. We ask you to click here to learn more and sign our petition to Congress, thereby voicing your support for a peaceful approach to ending the LRA conflict.
Fortunately, we’re not alone. There has been a strong outcry from many religious groups and communities in northern Uganda, including several AFJN members. Over the weekend, the Acholi Religious Leader’s Peace Initiative (ARLPI) released a statement that clearly denounces the military option and suggests that not all non-violent solutions to the LRA crisis have been exhausted.
Read more: AFJN Opposes Military Language in Northern Uganda Bill
Violence Escalates in Niger Delta
Posted June 4, 2009
On May 14th, the Nigerian Joint Military Task Force (JTF), laid siege to towns along the coast, attacking from air, land, and sea. Although the Nigerian government maintains that the attack was targeting militant groups that obstruct oil flows, what transpired was a massive assault on the communities and villages of Gbaramatu kingdom. Thousands of lives have been lost and upwards of 20,000 persons displaced in the ongoing military offensive. This is an inexcusable abuse of military power, carried out only to gain greater access to the region’s oil.
“The helicopter gunships hovered low over a crowded street, where people had gathered to celebrate an annual festival, and opened fire with machine guns and rockets, according to several accounts.”
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