[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 248 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 248

                  Relating to the violence in Liberia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 18, 1996

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
                  Relating to the violence in Liberia.

Whereas the war in Liberia begun in 1989 has devastated that country, with more 
        than 150,000 people killed, up to 1 million forced to flee as refugees 
        to neighboring countries, and thousands of children conscripted into the 
        rebel armies;
Whereas the Abuja Accords signed in August 1995 represented the most realistic 
        path for lasting peace;
Whereas the Senate passed a resolution on September 20, 1995, expressing the 
        sense of the Congress that the United States should strongly support the 
        peace process in Liberia, including support for the West African 
        peacekeeping force;
Whereas the United States committed $10,000,000 in support for the West African 
        peacekeeping force, but has delivered only $5,500,000, most of which 
        arrived only in February 1996;
Whereas the peacekeeping force has fewer than 6,000 soldiers, but needs over 
        15,000 to carry out its mission;
Whereas violence characterized by massive looting, shelling, and ethnic 
        hostilities broke out in Monrovia on April 6, 1996, forcing tens of 
        thousands of people into hiding, without food and water, halting most 
        humanitarian assistance programs in Liberia, and signifying a failure of 
        the West African peacekeeping force to maintain order and stability in 
        Monrovia;
Whereas 214 United States Armed Forces and 1,400 support personnel have been 
        deployed to Liberia to facilitate the successful evacuation of 
        approximately 1,800 people, including over 300 Americans, from Liberia;
Whereas while the United States is the only functioning diplomatic mission in 
        Monrovia, some nations, such as Japan, have continuing economic concerns 
        in Liberia and other nations, such as France, have national interests in 
        Western Africa; and
Whereas negotiations for a cease-fire and the peaceful release of hostages are 
        being led by Ghanaian Kojo Tsikata, and Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and 
        others are trying to use their influence to moderate combatants: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the United States Armed Forces and the United 
        States Embassy personnel for the successful evacuation of over 
        1,795 people from Liberia;
            (2) declares that a breakdown of the Abuja process would 
        have disastrous humanitarian ramifications and seriously 
        threaten other United States interests in West Africa;
            (3) calls upon all factions to reach a cease-fire and 
        recommit themselves to the Abuja process; and
            (4) urges the administration to--
                    (A) scrutinize the Federal budget to identify funds 
                that could be either reprogrammed or transferred and 
                used to support additional non-Nigerian West African 
                peacekeepers;
                    (B) consider the provision of excess defense 
                articles for communications and logistical support and 
                training for crowd-control techniques for non-Nigerian 
                troops to participate effectively in a West African 
                peacekeeping force;
                    (C) use its influence with other nations with 
                interests in Liberia to solicit further support for 
                West African peacekeeping forces, including their 
                participation at the April 26 meeting of a newly formed 
                Contact Group in Liberia; and
                    (D) lead efforts in the United Nations to activate 
                a Commission in the United Nations to develop an 
                implementation plan and sanctions against those parties 
                violating the United Nations arms embargo on Liberia.
                                 <all>