[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 128 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 128

                    Concerning democracy for Zaire.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 1993

   Mr. Payne of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Johnston of Florida) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was referred jointly to the 
Committees on Foreign Affairs, Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, the 
                     Judiciary, and Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
                    Concerning democracy for Zaire.

Whereas the people of the United States support the development of democratic 
        institutions in Zaire that reflect the will of the people of Zaire;
Whereas Zaire's Sovereign National Conference, a democratic and representative 
        body of 2,800 delegates from all sectors of Zairian society, has elected 
        a transitional government headed by Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi wa 
        Mulumba, and a transitional parliament, the High Council of the Republic 
        (HCR) led by Archbishop Monsengwo Pasinya;
Whereas the HCR has adopted a transitional charter to guide these interim 
        institutions in their task of reconstructing the Zairian economy and 
        preparing for free and fair elections in 1994;
Whereas President Mobutu Sese Seko has, in violation of the transitional 
        charter, used his de facto control over the security forces and Zaire's 
        governmental and financial institutions to undermine Zaire's transition 
        to democracy
Whereas President Mobutu's antidemocratic and destabilizing measures including 
        using loyal troops to intimidate government officials by surrounding 
        their offices, ordering the Bank of Zaire to issue worthless currency 
        further aggravating the country's hyperinflation, inciting ethnic 
        violence, and holding of members of parliament hostage without food in 
        an attempt to force them to vote in favor of President Mobutu's ruinous 
        monetary policies;
Whereas hundreds of people have died in recent weeks during clashes with 
        President Mobutu's loyal troops, who took the opportunity of recent 
        unrest to attack members of the opposition, including the President of 
        the Union Sacree, Frederic Kibassa Maliba whose son was killed when the 
        family home was firebombed;
Whereas the continued presence of Mobutu in Zaire represents an insuperable 
        obstacle to a peaceful transition to democracy and the successful 
        economic reconstruction of the country; and
Whereas H. Con. Res. 238 unanimously passed by the 102d Congress calling on 
        President Mobutu to step down was not heeded: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls upon President Clinton to continue the 
        cooperative process of working with Belgium, France, and other 
        allies in applying diplomatic pressure necessary for democratic 
        change in Zaire;
            (2) urges President Clinton to pressure President Mobutu to 
        leave Zaire so that the legitimate transitional government can 
        complete the process of democratization as mandated by the 
        Sovereign National Conference;
            (3) urges that President Clinton impose a variety of 
        sanctions on President Mobutu, including--
                    (A) freezing the bank accounts of President Mobutu, 
                his family, and associates,
                    (B) denying visas to President Mobutu, his family, 
                and associates, and
                    (C) expelling Mobutu's ambassador;
            (4) recommends that the United States support the 
        suspension of Zaire from the International Monetary Fund and 
        World Bank, impose an arms embargo, and ban all imports from 
        Zaire if further measures are needed to ensure Mobutu's 
        departure;
            (5) if the actions under paragraphs (1) through (4) are 
        unsuccessful, recommends that President Clinton encourage 
        Belgium, France, and other allies to join the United States in 
        urging the United Nations Security Council to consider other 
        options, including intervention to stabilize the situation in 
        Zaire; and
            (6) urges President Clinton, upon the departure of 
        President Mobutu, to consider waiving the Brook Amendment and 
        all United States sanctions against Zaire to allow for 
        emergency economic assistance to the transitional government.

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