microfinance. we've had a tremendous impact in economic growth as well as in agricultural growth. so, for example, just the impacts -- just the interventions and loans that we've made in the agriculture sector last year resulted in an increase in $7 million worth of agricultural products last year. >> you're causing a lot of economic improvement to take place, which helps for the political stability in the area. >> absolutely. >> a story i want to comment on isr for a minute, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance is critically important, as we've learned in many battlefields. that is being enhanced a little bit and i understand will be enhanced a little more. that's the real key the united states, i think, can give to the a.u. and the u.n. and other forces that are there. but it should be underscored for everybody who has an interest in

this, this is a very -- where he is believed to be is a very heavily vej talted, very underdeveloped part of the world where even surveillance sometimes is very, very difficult because of the canopy that literally covers the central african republic, south sudan in that area. but i'm very proud of what i saw and what our 100 advisers plus or minus are doing there and the cooperation and the aid they are giving to the ugandan people themselves. one example, by the way, you talked about the reward program, they're also doing a great flyer drop program like we used in a lot of battles all the way back to world war i and world war ii. but they're dropping leaflets offering amnesty and recovery to abductees of joseph coney who will come back. that's starting to bear fruit, which is one of the great programs. i want to commend you for doing that. we saw first hand some of the flyers and some of the inducements to really provide these people with the confidence to leave where they are in terms

of in support of coney and come back and bring us the information necessary. and i also want to say one other thing. i appreciate the president extending the stay of those advisers in uganda. joseph coney can be within our reach sooner than we might have thought in the past. and in large measure it's because of the isr with the capabilities of the african countries. any comments you want to add to that and the reward program i'd appreciate. >> thank you, senator. your comments about the isr and some of the challenges there really underscore the need for all forms of information and intelligence to be fused together. and i think underscore further the importance of the engagements with the local populations, the engagements with the defectors and the kinds of information that comes as a result of the defections so the defectors are a key part of the information picture that helps

it will partner forces vector -- on the whereabouts of the r.a. leadership. so very complimentary to the use of assets, isr-type assets is the human picture so to speak derived from information and intelligence. and to that end, the rewards program, the proposals to expand the state department's version of the rewards program is well supported by the department, by general hamm at africom as a way of inducing additional defectors who in the end help tighten the net in terms of the whereabouts of joseph coney. >> just to comment, i think d.o.d. is very supportive of the resolution of senator kerry and koonce, myself and others to expand the information for the chap chur with the rewards program. your fellows deployed made it

known how much they appreciate that opportunity. i hope we can do it soon, mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator isaacson. that is, i think, our next step here legislatively, not just to pass a resolution continuing to express support for the mission and for the understakings, express gratitude to the regional armies but also senator kerry's legislation that will authorize the justice rewards program to also include joseph coney and his co-indictees at the occ. i'd be interested in a series of answers, if i could. ambassador yamamoto, we haven't talked about sudan, who played a role in arming the lra and providing them support some years ago. there have been some reports that suggest coney might be trying to seek some kind of safe haif en in sudan. what's the status of our diplomatic efforts to pressure khartoum to prevent any efforts by coney to seek sanctuary in sudan? >> i think the situation, of course, in sudan is very fluid because of the situation in

other areas. we have been following very closely, you know, the reports and allegations that the khartoum government is supporting the lra. for some time, we have not seen the evidence. we are looking. but every information that we received we are following. and if we do find verifiable evidence, we are going to act on it immediately. >> in your view, what would the consequences be for the international criminal court and for its stature going forward were coney to be captured, taken to the hague and tried as opposed to removed from the battlefield in a way that prevented his being brought to justice? >> i think the legislation has been extremely helpful as far as the rewards for justice program because it does limit and isolate coney -- not only coney but also the other senior officials. and are supportive and receptive to how they're going to handle

coney. i know the ugandans are very much involved in trying to determine the icc and other programs for coney. but getting him off the battlefield is number one. >> i'd be interested in an answer which from the whole panel if i could to with the next set of concerns i had. if you can give me more details about the a.u., the african union's role, how you see their engagement, how sustained it will be, what sort of collaborative role they're going to play, and that's both intergovernmental and then in terms of recovery and development and most centrally in terms of actual deployment, is this simply rebranding troops already in the field with a different command structure? will there be additional troops sent to the field? what kind of capabilities do they have? first. second, civilian protection is an important part of the long-term strategy, and i'd be interested, specifically ambassador gast, what you've

been doing with civilian protection. and the last, how can folk who is might be watching this hearing, who are concerned, kwhok interested, thousand can they be supportive? how can they be engaged? what difference can they make in america's effort at supporting our regional allies? if you would first, ambassador. >> we commend the african union's efforts because their involvement is going to be very important not only in coordination and cooperation of these four countries but also in bringing the entire african union to bear on this issue. as you know, the african union selected me deer ra has the special envoy to the lra. also in that context they've also established operations, a task force in southern sudan. but what's going to be important, of course, is bringing the other groups together, the european union in funding and helping assisting, also the african union to help coordinate much more. as you were saying, is it going to bring more troops? i think what they're going to do is bring a better coordination

and cooperation among these four countries and then bring other support from outside. also the other issue is that our special forces unit is working closely with the african union. so that involve is one element of helping to support and to sustain and to close in on coney and his team. >> with regard to your question on africa, on the african union, they're certainly playing a very valuable role in helping to coordinate on the humanitarian side with the u.n. organizations, with the host country governments, and also with the donor countries themselves. and also with the e.u., which is a major provider of humanitarian assistance to those four areas, those four countries. with regard to your question on protection, this is something that we've put increased emphasis on over the past couple of years, and we appreciate your

earmarking of some $5 million in 2012. most of that assistance will be going into supporting protection programs, mainly in central african republic, where we feel that there is a gap at this time. with regard to specific activities that we're doing in enhancing civilian protection, it's certainly on the humanitarian side going in, providing relief services, also providing psychosocial, health services, and then reintegration services, livelihoods. but one of the innovative things we're doing with the state department and with the international community and also with the catholic church is the early warning system. and state department will be -- will be working with 24 communities, we will be working with 24 minutes in the lra-affected areas of the province in the drc. and in those areas, there are about 60,000 inhabitants.

the early warning system is one critical component that we found missing. how do we alert villages and attack that guerrillas are on the way? how can they enhance communications between villages? that is something that we're doing. we're also working with vodafone in a private partnership. vodafone will be providing the retail services. and we're going to help with some state-of-the-art low-maintenance cell phone towers that we'll be putting out in the eastern drc to facilitate additional communication so that community prediction committees can then get in touch with either u.n. forces, either with their own government forces or with other villages. >> thank you. deputy assistant secretary? >> senator koonce, on the issue of the growing a.u. role, i think we can only express our

optimism at this point that ther increasing their role going from declaring the lra a terrorist organization at the end of last year to now the designation of an envoy, the gradual mobilizing of forces to bring to bear. i think a parallel is interesting to consider when you look at somalia in the first instance. the neighbors are the one who feel the impact and act first. but then over time the full force of the a.u. is brought to bear, as we've seen with the amazon mission. i think we could envision that that is a possibility for the counterlra mission as well so that it's not a rebranding exercise. it does become more than the sum of the existing parts. >> is it clear yet whether there will be additional troops actually deployed under the a.u. umbrella? or is this still a work in progress? >> i think this is still very much a work in progress. we see encouraging signs of

shuttle diplomacy happening among all of the different leaders in the region at the political level, at the military level. so i think i would say stay posted. >> and then if i could just a closing question the all three of you both, what could we, as concerned an engaged senators, do to be more supportive of the effort multilaterally, and what could anyone watching or interested do to continue to be supportive? if you would first, deputy assistant secretary. >> thank you. in the first instance, the continuation of the bipartisan support for this mission is fundamental and this hearing today demonstrates that yet again. so we would just thank you for that support and sustained engagement. the visits to the region that help bring back the personal witness of what you've seen, how you've observed the u.s. government, comprehensive strategy and action again, just to encourage that. we've talked about the expansion of the state department's rewards program already.

department of defense fully supports that expansion. the sustainment of the title 22 appropriations that are so key to the efforts for many years now and going forward. and then just the support from your last question, encouraging the role of the u.n. and the african union as they increasingly come online going forward. >> thank you. assistant administrator gast? >> very similar. one is continued hearings and speaking out on the issues, as you have done. visits to the region certainly help. and third, resources. >> last, ambassador yamamoto. >> and, again, thank you very much, senator, for what you've been doing with the legislation, our rewards for justice, your videos, you're well-spoken advocacy is important. and also the efforts of others with invisible children has been very supportive. also in continuation on the civilian protection and what we can do is really work with the

regional states because they are the ones taking the lead, taking the hits and doing it and fighting the protection. i know ugandans, for instance, in the last couple years have devoted about $50 million for reconciliation and protection. and earl and his group and the u.s. government has done about $500 million. and since 2008 just for protection and humanitarian assistance. so those are things that are continuing in support. and those are critical issues. thank you. >> terrific. thank you very much. i just want to thank our first panel. i'm grateful for your testimony today, for appearing before the committee, both for your thorough, detailed, written and prepared testimony and for your availability to answer questions. i very much look forward to continuing to work with you as we sustain this very vital multilateral mission in central africa. thank you very much. we're now going to turn to our second panel. i see we have a guest, senator mary landrieu, who i'm going to

invite to come and join us in introducing our second panel. as our first panel is preparing to leave, i suggest we show a short video. we've prepared a sum of videos that's already been made available that helps highlight the stories of the regional ambassador for invisible children, who i invite to the table, and mr. jacob chi, whose stories have inspired millions around the world. if you would join at the table senator mary landrieu.

uganda, central africa. these are very different circumstances. >> the night i first met jacob, he told me what he and other children in northern uganda were living through.

>> after spending a few weeks with jacob, he told me something i will never forget.

>> the world should know this war is complex. if it was not complex, it would not have stayed for 36 years. i have been in the forefront from day one. i felt that this can be an opportunity for someone else to see what was in northern uganda. i felt that, let's do something and let the world know. that is why our advocacy has been very strong. >> so while jolie lost invisible childrens programs on the ground, we came home and in 2005 began telling true stories with our friends affected by lra violence. because we have seen that stories can change lives. >> thank you. i am in awe of jolie and jacob's courage and strength and indeed agree that their stories have

touched and saved millions of lives, just by participating in these videos. i am certain that you've had that global impact, and i'm grateful you have the opportunity to join us here today. i turn to my good friend and colleague, senator landrieu of louisiana, to introduce our distinguished panel. she's been a spoken, engaged and effective advocate on these issues for many years. honored she could join us today because in a very real sense itit e it's because hof her we have th opportunity to have you here today. >> i sincerely appreciate your leadership as the chair on this important committee of the united states congress to use this platform and your time and attention to build support for the atrocities going on in this part of the world. they may not be the greatest, most widespread atrocities, but they are atrocities nonetheless and they've been brought to our

attention in a very special and significant way, through the voices of children. it's very unusual for children of the world -- maybe it's been done before in this way, i'm not sure -- but this issue with hundreds and millions of children around the world led by a child himself has brought these atrocities to our attention. and that in itself, mr. chairman, should be honored. we struggled to make democracy rel van to the children in our country. we struggled to make democracy make sense to people in the world who are not used to it. and it's moments like these that need to be captured and promoted when children not even able to vote can recognize truth when they see it, and if given an

opportunity will press and use the rights that we try to start teaching them in kindergarten but by honoring their words in middle school and high school we strengthen and make true what we say to them, not only as parents but as senators. i was led to this by two children. one, my niece, kelsey cook, who's now married and her husband is serving overseas. but when she was 14, she told me about a friend of hers that was going to school with her, joa a joanna, who was working with an organization to try and help the night walkers in uganda. of course i had read about that and worked with orphans in that country. she said, aunt mary, can you do something? i said, yes, i'll try. i began working with other senators and traveled to uganda myself and met the unicef

director, karol bell lammy, at the time. we tried to get to the northern part to actually see the night walkers, but when we were there, one of the priests who had been their great advocate, episcopal priest, had been murdered by the coney forces and our state department didn't allow us to go. we came back, and you know that some of us have been working over the course of the time to help. i stayed in touch with invisible children and the nonprofit that was created after the plea that jacob said to ben, who's here in the audience. he looked at ben, and you saw it on the video. he said, ben, i'd rather die than live on an earth with no justice. and he's absolutely correct, mr. chairman. and the sad thing is there are millions and millions and millions of children and families living in places where there is no justice.

and this might not be the greatest atrocity that ever occurred, but it is certainly worth our time and worth our action. i don't know what the state department said, but i hope they've stepped up their efforts. i don't know what the defense department has said. i hope they step up their efforts. and i hope your committee and the work that we can do here will keep the focus on this tragedy, will stop this raging maniac of a terrorist who believes that he is being led by some higher spiritual calling, which, of course, is not related to any church or religion that you or i would be familiar with but evidently there's some higher spiritual calling that compels him to slice 5-year-olds in half in front of their mother and then drag the mother and brother to servitude. it forces children to kill their own fathers in front of the family by slicing them to pieces. and terrorizes children -- i've never truthly in my life heard

of such horrors. and the fact that all the governments in the world can't seem to catch him and to bring him to justice is a real puzzlement to me. but i'm going to turn the mike over to two people who are far more eloquent on this subject than i am, who have literally given their life for this cause, and with the invisible children, that's one of the greatest ngos i've ever known, and they have my full and complete and undying loyalty to the work that they do to inspire children to act and respond. i want to introduce you to jacob, who's been presented in the video. but at the age of 11, now jacob is 21, he's studying to become a human rights lawyer. i am confident that he will be one of the greatest human rights lawyers ever to practice on the planet. was one of the 41 youth taken from a ugandan village by joe coney.

fortunately, jacob escaped. he can tell you how. and his moving story is the emotional centerpiece of the video that you just saw. i want to also recognize miss joe lee, who is the on-the-ground coordinator for invisible children. she is the former ugandan country director. now she's working in a more regional way because, as you know, we believe joe coney has left uganda and is now terrorizing an area the size of france in a middle of a jungle with very little roads. but, you know, he can be caught. if we would put our mind to it. and just by catching him and his few followers, this whole reign of terror for 25 years could come to an end. this is not, contrary to what some of the experts say, that complicated in my opinion. among her very qualifications, she holds degrees in business

administrati administration. how she's managed to continue all this work all this time is beyond me. she's focused on all children but particularly girls in the subregion of the country. i'll close with this. if we can't find and honor the voices of the children in our country, your daughters and my daughters, the second child was my own daughter, mary snellings, who came home from easter break this year and said, mom, do you know joe coney? i said i know you don't think your mother knows much, but i do know joe coney. we talked about it. she encouraged me to watch the video, which inspired me to reenergize myself. and so, mr. chairman, i thank you. let us stay energized. let us not have to rely on our children to shake our conscience to stay energized. and i turn it over to these two extraordinary people. and i thank, again, invisible children and the leaders that are here representing this

extraordinary nonprofit and the work that they're doing to bring truth to the eyes of the world by the voices of very small children. >> thank you, senator landrieu, and thank you for your long and effective and engaged advocacy on this issue, for bringing the voice of the children who have touched you, your daughter, your niece, and helped encourage and inspire work by this subcommittee and by all of us in the senate. thank you for your legislative leadership, as well. i very much look forward to working together over the long haul to restore a sense of justice and security to the children all over the world who have been haunted by this. and let's now turn, if we could, first miss joe lee okut and then to mr. jacob akai. joe lee? >> thank you so much, mr. chairman. i would like to appreciate so much the big efforts that you have put to make sure this war come to an end.

it has been going on for 26 years. i want to thank senator isakson. when i met you in gulu, i was also touched to see that. and i want to thank mary for the passion you have to ensure that the children who are still suffering at the hands of joseph coney get rescued and also get a second chance like the way i am right now. and i want to thank the u.s. government so much for being involved and putting this agenda on top of all the other issues that they have. it means a lot to ask. that has shown that there is a lot of love for the people, especially the people of northern uganda, central african republic, and democratic republic of congo. i want to share my personal story that i grew up in northern uganda, and from day one, when this war started i saw it as it

transitioned to what is now called the lra. and i lost my teenage to this war. i couldn't finish it up, because i got involved -- i would say i got abducted and started fighting alongside the rebel group that as my life, as a young girl, i got so tortured so much because repeatedly i was raped, and then up to today when i still go back to my community, i'm still being called a market official because i was being forced to go and get money and food forcefully for the rebel group. and up to today, as much as i try to transform my community in a different way, i'm still filled with guilt of what i did more than 20 years ago as a child and as a child soldier. and for the past 26 years, you know, it has beery