Photo credit: Carolyn Kaster, AP
Today, President Obama announced that he would extend the deployment of 100 advisory troops to the LRA-affected regions of Central Africa. He was speaking at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum this morning when he made the announcement.
It was just over six months ago that President Obama originally announced his decision to deploy 100 advisory troops to the region on a time-limited mission. These special forces advise regional militaries and aide in logistics and intelligence. These are not combat troops–though they are combat ready should they need to defend themselves. The extension of their deployment and President Obama’s public commitment to seeing an end to LRA violence is very encouraging. He said:
“Today I can announce that our advisers will continue their efforts to bring this madman to justice and to save lives. It’s part of our regional strategy to end the scourge that is the LRA and help realize a future where no African child is stolen from their family and no girl is raped and no boy is turned into a child soldier.”
Let’s be encouraged and let’s keep up the pressure on the United States, the international community, and regional governments to see Joseph Kony and his top commanders arrested and LRA violence permanently ended.
In this morning’s speech, President Obama also spoke about mass atrocities all around the world that demand urgent responses, including Syria, Sudan, and Iran.
“Remembrance without resolve is a hollow gesture. Awareness without action changes nothing…We are haunted by the atrocities we did not stop.”
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