At AFJN’s 25th Anniversary Conference April 18-20, members of AFJN passed two resolutions. The first, a Resolution on Opposing the New U.S. Military Command for Africa (AFRICOM) , calls on the U.S. Congress to de-fund the new command and instead increase funding for development initiatives and multilateral diplomacy. Among other things, it also calls on the State Department to demand that Ambassadors remain Cheifs of Mission and to cease training and equipping armies of African governments which have committed human rights violations.
The second, a Resolution on Ending Violent Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) calls on the U.S. government to expand the ongoing diplomatic efforts and to support the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC). Among other things, it also calls on the U.S. Senate to pass the International Violence Against Women Act (S.2279) and to support the full implementation and renewal of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006 (S.2125).