[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 115 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 115

 Concerning the promotion of peace, stability, and democracy in Zaire.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 16, 1997

  Mr. Royce (for himself, Mr. Payne, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Campbell, Mr. 
    Hastings of Florida, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. 
Bereuter, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Kim, Mr. Graham, Mr. Gejdenson, 
and Mr. Berman) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
              to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Concerning the promotion of peace, stability, and democracy in Zaire.

Whereas Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko's 31-year rule has turned his 
        potentially prosperous country into one of the world's poorest, where 
        human suffering long has been widespread;
Whereas the Mobutu Government has systematically violated the human rights and 
        undermined the security of Zaire's 46,000,000 people;
Whereas the Mobutu Government has proven itself unwilling to allow a genuine 
        transition to multi-party democracy and continues to cling to power 
        against the best interests of Zaire's people;
Whereas the Mobutu Government permitted the circulation of extremist propaganda 
        in the refugee camps that undermined voluntary repatriation efforts of 
        the United Nations High Commission on Refugees;
Whereas the international community is concerned about the humanitarian needs of 
        the hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced Zairians;
Whereas there are continuing reports of human rights violations by all parties 
        that stem from the continued fighting in Zaire;
Whereas representatives of the Zairian Government and the Alliance of Democratic 
        Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL) negotiated in South 
        Africa, under the supervision of the United Nations and the Organization 
        of African Unity, with no cease-fire agreement; and
Whereas the objectives of the United States Government, achieving the cessation 
        of hostilities and achieving political reforms in Zaire, continue to be 
        stymied: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
                    (A) President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire should 
                immediately resign from the office of the Presidency of 
                Zaire, leave Zaire, and withdraw from all political 
                activity;
                    (B) the United States Government should 
                unequivocally call on Mobutu Sese Seko to immediately 
                leave Zaire and withdraw from all political activity;
                    (C) the United States should continue to distance 
                itself and its foreign policy from President Mobutu and 
                his government in order to hasten his departure from 
                Zaire's government and political life;
                    (D) the United States should work with all 
                interested African and European nations to oppose the 
                presence in Zaire of foreign government and mercenary 
                forces, halt the flow of arms into the country, and 
                encourage the warring parties to negotiate a cease-fire 
                leading to a lasting peace; and
                    (E) the United States Government should play a 
                leading role in the international effort in supporting 
                the creation of a broad-based transitional government 
                of national unity composed of all democratic forces in 
                Zaire; and
            (2) the House of Representatives supports the creation in 
        Zaire of the enabling environment necessary to conduct 
        democratic, multi-party elections at the earliest feasible 
        time, as well as the necessary conditions to establish the rule 
        of law, respect for human rights, and the effective provision 
        of humanitarian assistance.
                                 <all>