[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 85 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 85

   Supporting the democratic aspirations of the Ivoirian people and 
 calling on the United States to apply intense diplomatic pressure and 
  provide humanitarian support in response to the political crisis in 
                             Cote d'Ivoire.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2011

  Mr. Payne (for himself, Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Royce, Mr. Berman, Mr. 
Carnahan, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Bass of California, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. 
 Capuano, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Towns, Mr. Davis of 
Illinois, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Rush, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, 
 Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Fattah, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Moore, Mr. Watt, 
Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, 
Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Brown of Florida, Ms. 
 Waters, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, and 
Mr. Richmond) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Supporting the democratic aspirations of the Ivoirian people and 
 calling on the United States to apply intense diplomatic pressure and 
  provide humanitarian support in response to the political crisis in 
                             Cote d'Ivoire.

Whereas, on March 4, 2007, Laurent Gbagbo and key political leaders of Cote 
        d'Ivoire signed the Ouagadougou Political Agreement (OPA), a roadmap for 
        the country's emergence from years of political crisis, which included 
        provisions for free and fair elections as part of the consolidation of 
        democratic processes;
Whereas, on November 28, 2010, Alassane Ouattara was elected President of Cote 
        d'Ivoire by a margin of 54 to 46 percent through an independent, fair, 
        and transparent electoral process, as prescribed under the OPA;
Whereas Cote d'Ivoire's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the 
        election results and, in accordance with the OPA, the United Nations 
        Secretary-General's Special Representative independently reviewed the 
        results and certified that Alassane Ouattara won the poll;
Whereas international observers, including the Carter Center, the European 
        Union, and the African Union, concluded that minor incidents of 
        electoral problems in all parts of the country did not materially affect 
        the results;
Whereas Cote d'Ivoire's Constitutional Council, controlled by the incumbent 
        Laurent Gbagbo, overrode those results, and Mr. Gbagbo has refused to 
        peacefully transfer power to President Ouattara;
Whereas the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, the 
        European Union, the United States, and the United Nations have all 
        recognized Mr. Ouattara as the winner of the election;
Whereas, since the election, President Ouattara and parts of his government have 
        been sequestered by Mr. Gbagbo's forces at the Golf Hotel in the 
        commercial capital Abidjan, while Mr. Gbagbo and his supporters have 
        carried out a vicious campaign of violence and intimidation against 
        large numbers of peaceful Ivoirian citizens and nationals of other 
        African countries;
Whereas, to date, the United Nations has verified nearly 300 deaths resulting 
        from post-election violence, including extrajudicial and summary 
        executions of Ivoirians of mostly civilian supporters of President 
        Ouattara, and there are credible reports of death squads, ethnic 
        targeting, mass rapes, and other human rights violations;
Whereas Mr. Gbagbo has demanded the departure of United Nations peacekeeping 
        forces, and his security forces and youth militia routinely perpetrate 
        acts of violence and intimidation against United Nations patrols, have 
        prevented a United Nations investigation of alleged mass grave sites, 
        and prevented the delivery of food and basic necessities to the Golf 
        Hotel;
Whereas Mr. Gbagbo is using the state radio and television services as partisan 
        propaganda machines to incite anti-United Nations and western 
        sentiments, and has routinely exercised censorship, control, and 
        manipulation of the media;
Whereas, according to the United Nations, an estimated 33,000 Ivoirians have 
        fled into neighboring Liberia to date to escape violence or persecution;
Whereas, to date, Mr. Gbagbo has rebuffed mediation efforts by the African Union 
        and the Economic Community of West African States, and both regional 
        bodies have suspended Cote d'Ivoire's membership, pending President 
        Ouattara's effective assumption of power;
Whereas the United States, European Union, Switzerland, and other governments 
        have imposed travel and financial sanctions on Mr. Gbagbo and many key 
        members of his regime, and the West African Monetary Union has taken 
        steps to ensure President Ouattara gains full control of state 
        resources;
Whereas the World Bank and IMF have suspended their activities in Cote d'Ivoire, 
        including a $575,000,000 post-conflict economic reconstruction program;
Whereas the political instability in Cote d'Ivoire has serious political, 
        economic, and security implications for its citizens, and for the entire 
        region;
Whereas with 17 upcoming elections in Africa in 2011, Mr. Gbagbo is sending a 
        concerning message to those who may seek to undermine the democratic 
        will of Africa's citizens, participatory governance, and the peaceful 
        transfer of state power on the continent; and
Whereas the United States has a strong interest in promoting democracy and peace 
        in Cote d'Ivoire and across all of Africa: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the democratic aspirations of the Ivoirian 
        people;
            (2) strongly condemns any attempt to circumvent the will of 
        the people of Cote d'Ivoire, the majority of whom voted on 
        November 29, 2010, to elect Alassane Ouattara as their 
        president;
            (3) calls on Laurent Gbagbo to respect the will of the 
        Ivoirian people by peacefully handing over power to President 
        Alassane Ouattara;
            (4) calls for an immediate end to acts of violence, human 
        rights abuses, the intimidation of United Nations troops, and 
        the hindrance of United Nations access to investigate alleged 
        violations of international human rights and humanitarian law;
            (5) asserts that Mr. Gbagbo and his military and 
        paramilitary forces will be held accountable for any human 
        rights crimes and abuses that they perpetrate against Ivoirians 
        and nationals of other African nations residing in Cote 
        d'Ivoire;
            (6) calls on the United States Government and international 
        community to continue to provide support for the ongoing 
        efforts of the Economic Community of West African States and 
        the African Union to resolve the crisis, and calls for 
        continued United Nations Security Council action to ensure that 
        the democratic process is upheld, that international human 
        rights and humanitarian law are upheld, and that there is 
        accountability for violations thereof;
            (7) supports the application of smart, targeted sanctions 
        against Mr. Gbagbo and his key supporters by the United States 
        Government and international community in order to send a clear 
        message that impunity will not be tolerated;
            (8) supports the Economic Community of West African States 
        and the African Union's aggressive steps to put further 
        financial strain on Mr. Gbagbo's regime, including any and all 
        actions to ensure that the Central Bank of West African States 
        (BCEAO) of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) 
        restricts Mr. Gbagbo's government access to state funds, and to 
        ensure that BCEAO and all of its national branches abide by the 
        UEMOA Council of Ministers' decision recognizing Alassane 
        Ouattara as the legitimately elected President of Cote d'Ivoire 
        by giving him authority over UEMOA-related activities and all 
        Ivoirian BCEAO transactions; and
            (9) calls on the United States Government and other 
        responsible nations to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian 
        assistance within Cote d'Ivoire and to neighboring countries 
        hosting Ivoirian refugees, as necessary and appropriate.
                                 <all>