[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 323 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 323

    Supporting peace and democracy in the Republic of Sierra Leone.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2000

Mr. Hall of Ohio (for himself, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. Royce, Mr. 
  Hastings of Florida, Mr. Houghton, and Ms. McKinney) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Supporting peace and democracy in the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Whereas the United States has supported the people of the Republic of Sierra 
        Leone in their desire for peace and democracy through both moral and 
        financial support and initiatives designed to secure peace;
Whereas despite a peace agreement signed by all parties on July 7, 1999, to end 
        Sierra Leone's civil war, and despite the efforts of the United Nations 
        peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone, violence continues;
Whereas rebels in Sierra Leone have murdered United Nations peacekeeping troops, 
        taken hundreds of others hostage, and repeatedly robbed the peacekeeping 
        force of its weapons and equipment;
Whereas, in violation of the peace agreement, the majority of Sierra Leone's 
        rebels have refused to disarm and continue to commit atrocities against 
        both civilians and United Nations peacekeeping troops;
Whereas rebels continue to threaten Sierra Leone's people and its capital, and 
        recently threatened a rampage like the rampage that killed thousands and 
        destroyed much of the city in 1999;
Whereas rebels have pursued a campaign of rape against Sierra Leone's women and 
        girls, leaving them traumatized both emotionally and physically, with 
        high rates of HIV and other infections, and malnutrition;
Whereas, while the peace agreement granted amnesty to all parties to the civil 
        war in Sierra Leone for crimes committed before July 7, 1999, it does 
        not bar prosecution of any party for war crimes committed after that 
        date;
Whereas the natural resources of Sierra Leone that have been used to transform 
        rebel forces into a well-equipped army continue to be deployed to hinder 
        efforts by United Nations peacekeeping troops to enforce the peace 
        agreement;
Whereas the United Nations has an obligation to protect troops serving in its 
        peacekeeping forces and must not tolerate the execution of troops 
        serving in its peacekeeping forces;
Whereas the United States has a responsibility to exercise leadership at the 
        United Nations and to contribute all it can to the success of its 
        initiatives;
Whereas the Congress has an obligation to expend taxpayers' funds wisely and in 
        the past decade has done so in providing $2,000,000,000 in humanitarian 
        assistance to Sierra Leone and 3 other countries engulfed in wars over 
        their natural resources;
Whereas, during the same period, rebel forces in Sierra Leone and these other 
        countries have earned more than $10,000,000,000 smuggling diamonds and 
        have used their profits to wage wars that have killed tens of thousands 
        of civilians, driven hundreds of thousands from their homes and 
        countries, and increased the need for humanitarian and other assistance; 
        and
Whereas the people of Sierra Leone have continually demonstrated their desire 
        for peace and democracy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) the Congress joins the international community in 
        supporting peace and democracy in the Republic of Sierra Leone; 
        and
            (2) it is the sense of the Congress that--
                    (A)(i) the President should direct the United 
                States representative to the United Nations to 
                immediately work to bring before the United Nations 
                Security Council a resolution imposing comprehensive 
                sanctions against the sale of diamonds by rebels in 
                Sierra Leone; and
                    (ii) sanctions referred to in clause (i) should be 
                imposed on any diamond mined in Sierra Leone that is 
                not certified by the Government of Sierra Leone and 
                such sanctions should be similar to those sanctions 
                imposed against rebels in Angola with consideration of 
                the recommendations of the United Nations Fowler 
                report;
                    (B) rebels in Sierra Leone should be condemned by 
                the United Nations and the international community for 
                murdering Kenyan troops serving as United Nations 
                peacekeepers, and for inflicting unspeakable suffering 
                on countless Sierra Leonean civilians;
                    (C) United States diplomats should be immediately 
                dispatched to Sierra Leone to remind the leaders of the 
                rebels that the peace agreement provides no amnesty for 
                any war crimes committed since its signing;
                    (D) because international law does not provide 
                amnesty for war criminals, the United States should 
                initiate all actions necessary to bring any individual 
                who has committed war crimes during Sierra Leone's 
                civil war to justice; and
                    (E) United States authorities should not grant a 
                visa to any individual who committed war crimes during 
                Sierra Leone's civil war, or to members of the 
                individual's family, and any such individual found in 
                the United States should be turned over to the 
                International War Crimes Tribunal for prosecution.
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