Congress Passes LRA Disarmament

Today, we have some amazing news! Late yesterday, Congress passed the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act, which President Obama is expected to sign into law in the next 10 days!

Many of you read our recent post about the savage acts committed by African rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army. Led by Joseph Kony, LRA members have been terrorizing villages, kidnapping, torturing and killing for more than two decades, abducting young boys to raise as soldiers everywhere they go, in one of the worst humanitarian crises in history.

War is traumatic and brutal, even for willing adults who understand what they’re fighting for, but the terror these child soldiers must feel is unimaginable. We commend members of Congress for realizing this and congratulate everyone who worked to bring it to their attention.

While everyone is aware that intervention in foreign conflicts is complicated, the international community must protect the world’s most vulnerable citizens.

As exciting as this step forward is, it’s not the end; people are still suffering at the hands of LRA members everyday. Invisible Children had this to say:

“There are none more vulnerable than abducted children forced to be soldiers… we must pressure the Obama Administration to follow through on this important mandate, to set a precedent for justice, and to protect these children who have too long been trapped in a war against their will.”

There are still too few people who know this has been going on. Please continue to do all that you can to let others know; tell a friend, send a tweet, post a link, update your status. The movement to stop this has been led largely by youth. Do your parents know? How about your neighbors? Tell them.

Visit invisiblechildren.com/helpnow to learn more.

Via Invisible Children

Savage Attacks in Congo Go Unreported for Months

//

The Lord’s Resistance Army has been tormenting villages in Eastern Africa for more than two decades in one of the worst humanitarian crises in history. The revolt in Uganda ended in 2005 but the rebels moved on and now terrorize the Congo.

Two women, whose lips were cut off in December by the LRA

One of the worst attacks of the 23-year insurgency took place only a few months ago and the UN has just learned of yet another incident.

Though the most recent attacks took place in February, they remained unreported and under the radar of the rest of the world until last weekend, when the UN’s top humanitarian official, John Holmes, met with escaped victims and local authorities.

One victim, a young mother, had her lips pulled with pliers as they cut them, along with her right ear, off with a knife. The rebels mutilate people like this everywhere they go as a savage warning to those who dare speak of, or hear about the LRA. Often, kidnapped boys as young as 10 or 11 are forced to carry out these heinous acts.

Since peace talks broke down in September of 2008, LRA rebels have slaughtered 1,600 civilians and kidnapped another 2,500 who will presumably be tortured and killed or become child soldiers.

According to Invisible Children, the LRA has no known agenda except killing and kidnapping people, mainly children, to swell their ranks.

Here’s what you can do: TELL SOMEONE. This has been going on for too long and too few people are aware of it. You’re online now – send a tweet, update your status, post a link. Visit invisiblechildren.com/helpnow to see what else you can do.

Via Invisible Children

Image via Human Rights Watch

You can choose Invisible Children as your charity on SocialVibe to earn free donations that will help educate war-affected children in Uganda.

sursa The vibe.socialvibe.com