The House Committee on Foreign Affairs last night approved an amendment calling for the appointment of a U.S. Special Envoy to help lead U.S. efforts to address the intense human suffering in the Great Lakes Region of Africa in such areas as eastern Congo and northern Uganda.

    Offered by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), the Chairman of the Africa, Global Health and Human Rights Subcommittee, the amendment is an attempt to prod President Obama to fill the position outlined in a law he wrote as Senator that was enacted by Congress in 2006.

    The measure has been included in H.R. 2583, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, which passed the committee unanimously last night and now moves to the House floor. Click here to read the Smith amendment on Special Envoy for Great Lakes Region of Africa. 

    “We in Congress should reaffirm our commitment to peace and stability in eastern and central Africa by adopting this amendment that calls for the Administration to fill this vital position,” said Smith to his colleagues. “Congress has already called for this position. It is up to the Administration to step up to the plate and fill it.  We have seen the consequences of inaction—killing and rape on an unimaginable scale—and we should not stand by when we have the opportunity to help bring positive change.”

    According to Sec. 107 of Public Law 109-456, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006, “Not later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act, the President should appoint a Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region” to help coordinate efforts to resolve the instability and insecurity in Eastern Congo.

    Smith traveled to the DRC in 2008 on a fact-finding mission, and this past March held a hearing on the DRC which heard experts testify specifically to the need for a Special Envoy to address the enormous challenges facing this region. Actor Ben Affleck, who founded the Eastern Congo Initiative, testified at the hearing.