[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 50 (Thursday, April 18, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S3634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SENATE RESOLUTION 248--RELATIVE TO LIBERIA

  Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mrs. Kassebaum, Mr. Simon, Mr. Leahy, Mr. 
Jeffords, and Mr. Pell) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 248

       Whereas, the war in Liberia begun in 1989 has devastated 
     that country, with more than 150,000 people killed, up to 1 
     million forced to flee as refugees to neighboring countries, 
     and thousands of children conscripted into the rebel armies;
       Whereas, the Abuja Accords signed in August 1995 
     represented the most realistic path for lasting peace;
       Whereas, the Senate passed a resolution on September 20, 
     1995, expressing the sense of the Congress that the United 
     States should strongly support the peace process in Liberia, 
     including support for the west African peacekeeping force;
       Whereas the U.S. committed $10 million in support for the 
     west African peacekeeping force, but has delivered only $5.5 
     million, most of which arrived only in February 1996;
       Whereas, the peacekeeping force has fewer than 6,000 
     soldiers, but needs over 15,000 to carry out its mission;
       Whereas, violence characterized by massive looting, 
     shelling, and ethnic hostilities broke out in Monrovia on 
     April 6, 1996, forcing tens of thousands of people into 
     hiding, without food and water, halting most humanitarian 
     assistance programs in Liberia, and signifying a failure of 
     the west African peacekeeping force to maintain order and 
     stability in Monrovia;
       Whereas, 214 U.S. armed forces and 1400 support personnel 
     have been deployed to Liberia to facilitate the successful 
     evacuation of approximately 1800 people, including over 300 
     Americans, from Liberia;
       Whereas, while the U.S. is the only functioning diplomatic 
     mission in Monrovia, some nations, such as Japan, have 
     continuing economic concerns in Liberia and other nations, 
     such as France, have national interests in western Africa; 
     and
       Whereas, negotiations for a ceasefire and the peaceful 
     release of hostages are being led by Ghanian Kojo Tsikata, 
     and Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and others are trying to use 
     their influence to moderate combatants.
       Therefore, be it resolved, that the Senate
       (1) commends the U.S. Armed Forces and the U.S. Embassy 
     personnel for the successful evacuation of over 1795 people 
     from Liberia;
       (2) declares that a breakdown of the Abuja process would 
     have disastrous humanitarian ramifications and seriously 
     threaten other U.S. interests in west Africa;
       (3) calls upon all factions to reach a ceasefire and re-
     commit themselves to the Abuja process; and
       (4) urges the Administration to:
       a. scrutinize the Federal budget to identify funds that 
     could be either re-programmed or transferred and used to 
     support additional non-Nigerian West African peacekeepers;
       b. consider the provision of excess defense articles for 
     communications and logistical support and training for crowd-
     control techniques for non-Nigerian troops to participate 
     effectively in a west African peacekeeping force;
       c. use its influence with other nations with interests in 
     Liberia to solicit further support for west African 
     peacekeeping forces, including their participation at the 
     April 26 meeting of a newly-formed Contact Group in Liberia; 
     and
       d. lead efforts in the United Nations to activate a 
     Commission in the United Nations to develop an implementation 
     plan and sanctions against those parties violating the U.N. 
     arms embargo on Liberia.

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I am submitting a resolution today on 
behalf of myself, and Senators Kassebaum, Simon, Leahy, Jeffords, and 
Pell, which includes proposals for United States action in support of 
the Liberian peace process. I will be speaking at length on this later 
this week.

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