[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 75 Introduced in House (IH)]
103d CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 75
To support the peace process in Angola.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 1993
Mr. Johnston of Florida (for himself, Mr. Payne of New Jersey, Mr.
Gejdenson, Mr. Edwards of California, and Ms. McKinney) submitted the
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To support the peace process in Angola.
Whereas on May 31, 1991, the Government of the Republic of Angola, under the
control of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
(hereinafter in this resolution referred to as ``the MPLA''), and the
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (hereinafter in this
resolution referred to as ``UNITA'') signed the Bicesse Peace Accords,
pledging both parties to full demobilization, the formation of a new
national army, and multiparty democratic elections;
Whereas the United States has agreed to recognize the Angolan Government based
on certified democratic elections and commitment in word and deed to the
Bicesse Peace Accords;
Whereas such elections were held on September 29 and 30, 1992, with 4,500,000
Angolans voting;
Whereas these elections were certified by the United Nations and determined by
an estimated 800 international observers to be generally free and fair
and without significant irregularities or systematic fraud;
Whereas the MPLA candidate for President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, received 49.6
percent of the total vote and the UNITA candidate, Jonas Savimbi,
received 40.1 percent;
Whereas neither the MPLA, UNITA, nor any other major political party in Angola
contested the results of the legislative elections, in which the MPLA
won a clear victory;
Whereas the UNITA leadership immediately called into question the results of the
Presidential election, withdrew its forces from the newly unified army,
and subsequently retreated to its stronghold to launch a military
offensive;
Whereas life in Angola has been dramatically disrupted by the consequences of
350,000 casualties from 16 years of civil war, an estimated 20,000
additional deaths from the renewed conflict, more than 1,000,000 people
displaced, and 3,000,000 people threatened by hunger, disease, and land
mines;
Whereas the Angolan Government has continued to work with the United Nations to
resurrect a negotiated settlement through talks in Addis Ababa, while
UNITA has called for the removal of United Nations personnel from Angola
refused to participate in additional attempts to negotiate, and
threatened to carry out violence against United States companies
operating throughout Angola;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution expressing
grave concerns about the outbreak of fighting in Angola, urging both
sides to begin peace talks, and strongly condemning UNITA's persistent
violations of the Bicesse Peace Accords;
Whereas over the years the United States Government played a significant role in
Angola, providing extensive support for UNITA during the war and
facilitating the negotiations that led to the Bicesse Peace Accords;
Whereas the Clinton Administration has the opportunity to establish a new policy
with respect to Angola and utilize diplomatic resources to seek a
peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Angola; and
Whereas an appropriate and strategic United States response to the crisis in
Angola will set an important precedent for United States action in newly
emerging democracies elsewhere in Africa: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
SECTION 1. DECLARATIONS BY THE CONGRESS.
The Congress--
(1) deplores human rights violations committed by the MPLA-
controlled government forces and UNITA;
(2) condemns UNITA's refusal to negotiate, its attempts to
expand the war, including into areas where foreign companies
operate, and its apparent effort to disregard the democratic
process and to instead win a military victory in Angola; and
(3) urges both parties to the conflict in Angola to act
swiftly to negotiate an immediate cease-fire and move
effectively to set a timetable for full implementation of the
Bicesse Peace Accords, including an agreement on a date for the
demobilization of military forces.
SEC. 2. ACTIONS THE UNITED STATES SHOULD TAKE.
The Congress calls upon the President to--
(1) accord diplomatic recognition of the Government of
Angola;
(2) appoint a Special Envoy to be sent to Angola to
underscore United States interest in a political settlement and
to assist both sides in the negotiation of a cease-fire;
(3) immediately urge the United Nations' Secretary General
to take whatever steps may be necessary to facilitate a cease-
fire and build an acceptable climate for a Presidential run-off
in Angola, including increasing the United Nations' presence on
the ground to expedite a cease-fire and provide support for
demobilization and for other aspects of implementing the
Bicesse Peace Accords;
(4) take immediate steps in the international community,
including sanctions or other necessary actions, to pressure any
nation or any party to the conflict determined to be
obstructing the evolution of peace in Angola; and
(5) consider dispatching a team to Angola to assess the
humanitarian crisis and make recommendations for a United
States response to the crisis.
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