[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 160 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 160

  Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the October 21, 1993, 
       attempted coup d'etat in Burundi, and for other purposes.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 2, 1993

 Mr. Durenberger (for himself, Mr. Simon, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Feingold, 
 Mrs. Kassebaum, and Mr. Grassley) submitted the following resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

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                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the October 21, 1993, 
       attempted coup d'etat in Burundi, and for other purposes.

Whereas Burundi has a long history of military rule and ethnic conflict between 
        the majority Hutu and the minority Tutsi;
Whereas on March 9, 1992, the people of Burundi adopted a democratic 
        constitution, leading to Burundi's first multiparty elections on June 1, 
        1993, through which Melchoir Ndadaye was overwhelmingly elected 
        president in a free and fair election;
Whereas President Ndadaye had shown his commitment to ethnic reconciliation and 
        democracy by appointing members of the opposition to key government 
        posts;
Whereas recent years have also witnessed a period of ethnic reconciliation in 
        Burundi, in large part because of policies implemented by former 
        President Buyoya;
Whereas on October 21, 1993, President Ndadaye and other senior government 
        officials were murdered by coup plotters; and
Whereas the attempted coup and murder of President Ndadaye sparked ethnically 
        motivated attacks throughout the country, resulting in widespread deaths 
        and approximately 500,000 refugees fleeing to neighboring Rwanda, 
        Tanzania, and Zaire: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) strongly condemns the attempted coup d'etat in Burundi 
        and the murder of President Ndadaye;
            (2) commends the people of Burundi for their commitment to 
        democracy by adopting a constitution and holding free and fair 
        elections, and for their respect for the democratic process;
            (3) urges the people of Burundi to help end ethnic strife 
        that has caused untold suffering;
            (4) encourages the people of Burundi to continue their 
        commitment to ethnic reconciliation and democracy;
            (5) commends the Clinton administration for its prompt 
        condemnation of the October 21, 1993, coup in Burundi; and for 
        the immediate suspension of foreign assistance to Burundi;
            (6) calls upon the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to 
        bolster and support the continuation of democracy and the end 
        of ethnic strife in Burundi; and
            (7) calls upon the international community to assist the 
        OAU in its efforts to strengthen democracy in Burundi and to 
        address the humanitarian needs of Burundian refugees in Rwanda, 
        Tanzania, and Zaire.