[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 53 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 53

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        March 23, 2015.
Whereas on the night of January 3, 2015, the terrorist group Boko Haram launched 
        a horrific attack on innocent men, women, and children in the 
        northeastern Nigerian town of Baga;
Whereas the terrorists of Boko Haram used assault rifles, grenade launchers, and 
        fire to slaughter innocent civilians and the scope of casualties in this 
        one attack totals in the hundreds and possibly thousands;
Whereas some nongovernmental organizations have described the attack in Baga as 
        the terrorist group's ``deadliest massacre'' to date;
Whereas Nigerian security forces have been largely unable to prevent Boko 
        Haram's territorial advances in the northeast since July 2014;
Whereas human rights groups have indicated that the Nigerian state security 
        forces should improve efforts to protect civilians during offensive 
        operations against Boko Haram;
Whereas this Islamist terrorist group, designated as a United States Foreign 
        Terrorist Organization in November 2013, has killed over 5,000 people in 
        Nigeria in 2014 alone and displaced over 1,000,000 innocent people;
Whereas Boko Haram has launched attacks in the neighboring countries of 
        Cameroon, Niger, and Chad;
Whereas Boko Haram's leadership has voiced support for and received some funding 
        and training from other Islamist terrorist groups, such as al Qaeda and 
        its affiliates, and has recently embraced propaganda tactics similar to 
        the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL);
Whereas Boko Haram's leadership pledged official allegiance to ISIL, which ISIL 
        has publicly accepted;
Whereas Boko Haram has abducted hundreds of civilians, using women and children 
        as slaves, subjecting them to sexual abuse, and deploying them as 
        suicide bombers, and forcibly recruiting boys as child soldiers;
Whereas Boko Haram has threatened to disrupt the Nigerian elections and attacks 
        such as the one in Baga may result in many Nigerians being unable to 
        vote in the upcoming national elections;
Whereas election-related violence in Nigeria has occurred in successive 
        elections, including in 2011, when nearly 800 people died and some 
        65,000 were displaced in clashes following the presidential election;
Whereas President Goodluck Jonathan, Major General (retired) Muhammadu Buhari, 
        and other presidential candidates signed the ``Abuja Accord'' on January 
        14, 2015, committing themselves and their campaigns to refrain from 
        public statements that incite violence, to run on issue-based platforms 
        that do not seek to divide citizens along religious or ethnic lines, and 
        to support the impartial conduct of the electoral commission and the 
        security services;
Whereas Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Nigeria on January 25, 2015, 
        to emphasize the importance of ensuring the upcoming elections are 
        peaceful, nonviolent, and credible;
Whereas Nigeria was scheduled to hold national elections on February 14, 2015, 
        but the elections were postponed for 6 weeks and are now scheduled for 
        March 28, 2015;
Whereas political tensions in the country are high, and either electoral fraud 
        or violence could undermine the credibility of the upcoming election;
Whereas Nigeria is Africa's largest economy, biggest oil producer, and most 
        populous nation, making it an influential country in the region; and
Whereas Nigeria is an important partner of the United States and it is in the 
        best interest of the United States to maintain close ties with Nigeria: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its strong support for the people of Nigeria, 
        especially the men, women, and children in northeastern Nigeria, 
        including the town of Baga, who have been terrorized, abducted, 
        trafficked, and murdered by the terrorist group Boko Haram;
            (2) condemns Boko Haram for its violent attacks on civilian targets, 
        including schools, mosques, churches, villages, and markets in Nigeria;
            (3) expresses concern about the possibility of an expanded 
        relationship between Boko Haram and ISIL in light of Boko Haram's pledge 
        of allegiance to ISIL;
            (4) encourages the Government of Nigeria to strengthen efforts to 
        protect civilians from the terrorists of Boko Haram, including through 
        cooperation with neighboring countries and other international actors;
            (5) urges all political candidates to uphold the commitments 
        outlined in the ``Abuja Accord'' and the Government of Nigeria to hold 
        their elections without further delay on March 28, 2015;
            (6) remains committed to protecting democratic principles and 
        universal human rights worldwide;
            (7) supports United States assistance to the Government of Nigeria 
        to combat Boko Haram and search for those who have been abducted by Boko 
        Haram; and
            (8) applauds the countries of the region and the African Union for 
        their efforts to establish a regional security force, which will include 
        Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Benin, to combat Boko Haram and 
        supports offers of robust security assistance to strengthen the force's 
        capacity.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.