[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 375 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 375

 Concerning the crisis in the Central African Republic and supporting 
 United States and international efforts to end the violence, protect 
          civilians, and address root causes of the conflict.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 5, 2014

     Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Flake) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Concerning the crisis in the Central African Republic and supporting 
 United States and international efforts to end the violence, protect 
          civilians, and address root causes of the conflict.

Whereas, for more than 50 years, successive governments in the Central African 
        Republic have struggled to build a durable system of democratic 
        institutions, to effectively secure and control the country's territory 
        and borders, and to ensure a basic level of socio-economic development 
        for the country's people;
Whereas, despite its natural resource wealth, the Central African Republic 
        remains one of the poorest countries in the world and one of the lowest 
        ranking countries in terms of a human development index according to the 
        United Nations Development Program;
Whereas, in January 2013, regional leaders brokered the Libreville Agreements 
        between the government of then-President Francois Bozize and the loosely 
        allied rebel militia known as Seleka, which resulted in the formation of 
        a government of national unity;
Whereas, despite the Libreville Agreements, President Bozize was ousted in March 
        2013 by the Seleka coalition, and the Seleka leader, Michel Djotodia, 
        declared himself president;
Whereas, in April 2013, regional leaders issued the N'djamena Declaration in an 
        effort to pursue a return to constitutional order based on the 
        Libreville Agreements;
Whereas an influx of foreign fighters, especially from Chad and Sudan, has been 
        a major factor in the increased number of Seleka fighters, from 
        approximately 5,000 in March 2013, to an estimated 20,000 as of December 
        2013;
Whereas both Seleka forces and armed militia groups known as ``anti-balakas'', 
        which formed initially as a means of protecting communities against 
        Seleka, have been implicated in ethnically-motivated violence and grave 
        and systemic human rights abuses against civilians;
Whereas, over the course of the crisis, Seleka and anti-balaka groups have 
        displayed weak control and command structures, and committed war crimes 
        with impunity;
Whereas, according to UNICEF, thousands of child soldiers are involved in armed 
        groups in the Central African Republic, amid the near-total collapse of 
        the country's primary education system;
Whereas interethnic, intercommunal, and interreligious tensions and violence 
        have risen to alarming levels and led to systematic human rights abuses 
        in the Central African Republic, including targeted killings, rapes, 
        acts of torture, looting, and arbitrary detention;
Whereas the United States Embassy in Bangui closed on December 25, 2012, and the 
        ordered departure of country team staff has temporarily suspended the 
        diplomatic presence and consular services of the United States in the 
        Central African Republic;
Whereas more than 700,000 civilians have been internally displaced; another 
        230,000 have recently sought refuge in neighboring countries, including 
        the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Cameroon, and South Sudan; 
        2,600,000 people, or over half of the population of the Central African 
        Republic, are in need of humanitarian assistance; and 60 percent of 
        households have no available food stocks;
Whereas a failure of the international community to appropriately respond to and 
        address the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Central African 
        Republic could result in further atrocities, mass displacement, and 
        protracted instability with significant repercussions for regional and 
        international security;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127 (2013) called for urgent 
        and increased international assistance to the African Union 
        International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA) to 
        ensure that the force can fulfill its mandate to restore security and 
        protect civilians, and placed an arms embargo on the Central African 
        Republic;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127 requested the Secretary-
        General to establish an international commission of inquiry to 
        investigate reports of human rights abuses in the Central African 
        Republic in order to ensure accountability for perpetrators of violence;
Whereas the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central 
        African Republic has been hindered by a lack of resources and 
        constrained by insecurity;
Whereas, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127, the 
        Government of France launched a peacekeeping operation, Operation 
        Sangaris, in the Central African Republic to assist MISCA in fulfilling 
        its mandate;
Whereas, on March 3, 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 
        recommended to the United Nations Security Council a transition to a 
        United Nations peacekeeping mission with a primary mandate to protect 
        civilians; and
Whereas the United States Government is providing support for conflict 
        resolution efforts, humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally 
        displaced persons, and assistance to troop contributing countries to 
        MISCA in order to restore security in the Central African Republic, 
        primarily by providing airlift, non-lethal equipment, military 
        logistics, and training, as well as logistical support for France: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the violence, atrocities, abuses, and human 
        rights violations committed by all parties to the conflict in 
        the Central African Republic;
            (2) commends the efforts of religious and community leaders 
        in the Central African Republic condemning violence and 
        engaging in conflict prevention and conflict resolution 
        activities;
            (3) welcomes the mobilization of international 
        peacekeeping, conflict mitigation, humanitarian, and diplomatic 
        resources, and encourages continued efforts to help address 
        humanitarian needs, bring an end to the violence, and develop 
        sustainable democratic institutions in the Central African 
        Republic;
            (4) welcomes the January 2014 decision of the Transitional 
        National Council on the election of Catherine Samba-Panza as 
        the Central African Republic's new transitional president;
            (5) commends the African Union and its troop and police 
        contributing countries for their work establishing and 
        supporting MISCA;
            (6) recognizes the Economic Community of Central African 
        States (CEEAS) for its leadership in the political transition 
        process;
            (7) commends France for its swift intervention under United 
        Nations Security Council Resolution 2127, and for its 
        contributions to stabilization efforts and other forms of 
        assistance;
            (8) welcomes the United Nations Security Council support 
        for MISCA and the Department of Peacekeeping Operation's 
        ongoing contingency planning for a possible transition to a 
        United Nations peacekeeping operation;
            (9) affirms support for multilateral peacekeeping and 
        policing capacities and recognizes the important contributions 
        these efforts have made in protecting civilians in the Central 
        African Republic and promoting international peace and 
        stability;
            (10) calls on the President to work with international 
        partners to develop a short-term strategy to support a full and 
        immediate cessation of armed conflict in the Central African 
        Republic, including attacks targeting civilians and the 
        recruitment of child soldiers;
            (11) calls on the President to develop a long-term United 
        States strategy, in support of international and domestic 
        efforts, to establish a durable peace and greater security for 
        the Central African Republic and to enhance regional stability, 
        including--
                    (A) engagement and coordination with the 
                international community, including the African Union, 
                the Economic Community of Central African States, the 
                United Nations, and other partners;
                    (B) appropriate assistance to help provide 
                emergency relief and reconciliation for the people of 
                the Central African Republic;
                    (C) technical, logistical and other forms of 
                assistance, as appropriate, in support of effective 
                disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of 
                fighters; and
                    (D) support for appropriate mechanisms to ensure 
                accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses 
                and violence; and
            (12) urges the Secretary of State to consider the 
        expeditious reestablishment of a United States diplomatic 
        presence in the Central African Republic.
                                 <all>