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Senate panel approves funds for Kony hunt

WASHINGTON, May 26 (UPI) -- A U.S. Senate committee has approved $50 million in a defense spending bill for the U.S. Rangers involved in tracking Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony.

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a bill Thursday that includes the additional money, The Hill reported.

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Kony heads the Lord's Resistance Army, which has been waging a war in Uganda, South Sudan and the Republic of Congo for almost 30 years. A video, "Kony 2012," posted on YouTube recently, caused an upsurge of support for U.S. efforts to combat him.

U.S. special forces were sent to Africa last year to provide logistics and support for Ugandan forces tracking Kony and the LRA. The Obama administration said the mission would be re-evaluated after 150 days, but it has expanded.

In April, President Barack Obama called the mission "part of regional strategy to end the scourge that is the LRA."

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