[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 65 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 65

  Supporting efforts to bring an end to violence perpetrated by Boko 
  Haram, and urging the Government of Nigeria to conduct transparent, 
                   peaceful, and credible elections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 4, 2015

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Coons, Mr. Isakson, Mr. 
Boozman, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Leahy) submitted the following resolution; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                           February 24, 2015

   Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to with an 
                            amended preamble

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting efforts to bring an end to violence perpetrated by Boko 
  Haram, and urging the Government of Nigeria to conduct transparent, 
                   peaceful, and credible elections.

Whereas Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa, with the largest economy;
Whereas the Governments of the United States and Nigeria have had a strong 
        bilateral relationship, and Nigeria has been a valued partner of the 
        United States since its transition to civilian rule;
Whereas the Government of Nigeria is currently confronted with threats to 
        internal security by terrorists, insurgents, and communal violence that 
        have caused considerable population displacement, and at the same time 
        must administer transparent and peaceful elections with a credible 
        outcome;
Whereas the government and those who aspire to hold office in Nigeria must 
        demonstrate the political will to address both of these challenges in a 
        responsible way, including by ensuring full enfranchisement, with 
        particular emphasis on developing a means for enfranchisement for the 
        hundreds of thousands displaced by violence;
Whereas the members of Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, commonly 
        known as Boko Haram, have terrorized the people of Nigeria with 
        increasing violence since 2009, targeting military, government, and 
        civilian sites in Nigeria, including schools, mosques, churches, 
        markets, villages, and agricultural centers, and killing thousands and 
        abducting hundreds of civilians in Nigeria and the surrounding 
        countries;
Whereas the Department of State named several individuals linked to Boko Haram, 
        including its leader, Abubakar Shekau, as Specially Designated Global 
        Terrorists in 2012, and designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist 
        Organization (FTO) in November 2013;
Whereas, in May 2014, the United Nations Security Council added Boko Haram to 
        its al Qaeda sanctions list, and on January 19, 2015, the United Nations 
        Security Council issued a presidential statement condemning the recent 
        escalation of attacks in northeastern Nigeria and surrounding countries 
        and expressing concern that the situation was undermining peace and 
        security in West and Central Africa;
Whereas Boko Haram calls for the universal implementation of what it considers 
        ``pure'' Shari'ah law, has called on all Christians to leave northern 
        Nigeria, and perpetrates targeted violent attacks against Christians, 
        churches, schools, mosques, and Muslim critics;
Whereas the over 200 school girls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014, from 
        the Government Girls Secondary School in the northeastern state of 
        Borno, whose kidnapping sparked domestic and international outrage 
        spawning the Twitter campaign #BringBackOurGirls, are still missing;
Whereas the militant group is an increasing menace to the countries along 
        Nigeria's northeastern border, prompting the African Union, the Lake 
        Chad Basin Commission, the European Union, and the United Nations 
        Security Council to recognize that there must be a regional response;
Whereas the United States Government has stepped forward to offer assistance 
        through intelligence sharing, bilateral and international sanctioning of 
        Boko Haram leaders, counterterrorism assistance through the Global 
        Security Contingency Fund program for countries in the region to counter 
        the militant group, and humanitarian services to populations affected by 
        and vulnerable to Boko Haram violence;
Whereas Boko Haram emerged partially as a response to underdevelopment in 
        northeastern Nigeria, and inequality, elite impunity, and alleged human 
        rights abuses by security forces may be fueling anti-government 
        sentiment;
Whereas it is clear that a military approach alone will not eliminate the threat 
        of Boko Haram, and gross human rights abuses and atrocities by security 
        forces causes insecurity and mistrust among the civilian population;
Whereas it is imperative that the Government of Nigeria implement a 
        comprehensive, civilian security focused plan that prioritizes 
        protecting civilians and also addresses legitimate political and 
        economic grievances of citizens in northern Nigeria;
Whereas Nigeria is scheduled to hold national elections in the coming weeks, and 
        the elections appear to be the most closely contested in Nigeria since 
        the return to civilian rule;
Whereas election-related violence has occurred in Nigeria in successive 
        elections, including in 2011, when nearly 800 people died in clashes 
        following the presidential election;
Whereas President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, General Muhammadu Buhari, and 
        other presidential candidates pledged to reverse this trend by signing 
        the ``Abuja Accord'' on January 14, 2015, in which they committed 
        themselves and their campaigns to refraining from public statements that 
        incite violence, to running issue-based campaigns that do not seek to 
        divide citizens along religious or ethnic lines, and to supporting the 
        impartial conduct of the electoral commission and the security services;
Whereas Secretary of State John Kerry visited Nigeria on January 25, 2015, to 
        emphasize the importance of ensuring the upcoming elections are 
        peaceful, nonviolent, and credible;
Whereas despite the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) 
        views that preparations were ``sufficient to conduct free, fair and 
        credible elections as scheduled,'' at the repeated urging of security 
        officials, INEC announced on February 7, 2015, the postponement of the 
        elections by six weeks, and elections will now take place on March 28 
        and April 11, 2015;
Whereas tensions in the country remain high, and either electoral fraud or 
        violence could undermine the credibility of the upcoming election;
Whereas the people of Nigeria aspire for a fair, competently executed, and 
        secure electoral process, as well as an outcome that can be accepted 
        peacefully by all citizens; and
Whereas it is in the best interest of the United States to maintain close ties 
        with a politically stable, democratic and economically sound Nigeria: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns Boko Haram for its violent attacks, 
        particularly the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, 
        especially women and girls, and the use of children as fighters 
        and suicide bombers;
            (2) stands with--
                    (A) the people of Nigeria in their right to live 
                free from fear or intimidation by state or nonstate 
                actors, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or 
                regional affiliation;
                    (B) the people of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger who are 
                increasingly at risk of becoming victims of Boko 
                Haram's violence; and
                    (C) the international community in its efforts to 
                defeat Boko Haram;
            (3) supports the Abuja Accord, and calls on candidates, 
        party officials, and adherents of all political movements to 
        comply with the code of conduct spelled out therein, by 
        refraining from any rhetoric or action that seeks to demonize 
        or delegitimize opponents, sow division among Nigerians, or 
        otherwise inflame tensions;
            (4) condemns any and all abuses of civilians by security 
        forces of the Government of Nigeria;
            (5) urges the Government of Nigeria to--
                    (A) adhere to the new timeline for elections 
                announced by INEC on February 7, 2015;
                    (B) refrain from using security concerns as a 
                pretext for impeding the democratic process and using 
                the security apparatus for political purposes in 
                connection with the elections;
                    (C) ensure elections are credible, transparent, and 
                peaceful;
                    (D) prioritize the safety and security of Nigerians 
                vulnerable to Boko Haram attacks;
                    (E) implement a comprehensive, civilian security-
                focused response to defeat Boko Haram that addresses 
                political and economic grievances of citizens in the 
                north;
                    (F) improve the capacity and conduct of Nigeria's 
                security forces, including respect for human rights, 
                and take steps to hold accountable through a 
                transparent process those members of the security 
                forces responsible for abuses;
                    (G) recognize that security forces are intended to 
                protect the safety and security of all citizens 
                equally; and
                    (H) cooperate with regional and international 
                partners to defeat Boko Haram;
            (6) urges all Nigerians to engage in the electoral process, 
        to insist on full enfranchisement, and to reject inflammatory 
        or divisive rhetoric or actions; and
            (7) reaffirms that the people of the United States will 
        continue to stand with the people of Nigeria in support of 
        peace and democracy.
                                 <all>