[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 113 (Monday, July 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H8621-H8623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN MAURITANIA

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 142) regarding the human rights 
situation in Mauritania, including the continued practice of chattel 
slavery, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 142

       Whereas the Government of Mauritania has perpetrated a 
     prolonged campaign of human rights abuses and discrimination 
     against its indigenous black population;
       Whereas the Department of State and numerous human rights 
     organizations have documented such abuses;
       Whereas chattel slavery, with an estimated tens of 
     thousands of black Mauritanians considered property of their 
     masters and performing unpaid labor, persists despite its 
     legal abolition in 1980;
       Whereas individuals attempting to escape from their owners 
     in Mauritania may be subjected to severe punishment and 
     torture;
       Whereas the right to a fair trial in Mauritania continues 
     to be restricted due to executive branch pressure on the 
     judiciary;
       Whereas policies designed to favor a particular culture and 
     language have marginalized black Mauritanians in the areas of 
     education and employment particularly;
       Whereas Mauritanians are deprived of their constitutional 
     right to a democratically elected government;
       Whereas Mauritanian authorities have still refused to 
     investigate or punish individuals responsible for the 
     massacre of over 500 military and civilian black Mauritanians 
     in 1990 and 1991; and
       Whereas significant numbers of black Mauritanians remain 
     refugees stripped of their citizenship and property, 
     including tens of thousands of black Mauritanians who were 
     expelled or fled Mauritania during 1989 and 1990: Now, 
     therefore, be it
        Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) calls upon the Government of Mauritania to honor its 
     obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
     and the Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, to prosecute 
     slave owners to the fullest extent of the country's anti-
     slavery law, and to educate individuals being held as slaves 
     on their legal rights;
       (2) strongly urges the Government of Mauritania to abolish 
     discriminatory practices and foster an environment that will 
     integrate black Mauritanians into the economic and social 
     mainstream;
       (3) urges in the strongest terms that the Government of 
     Mauritania fully investigate and prosecute those officials 
     responsible for the extrajudicial killings and mass 
     expulsions of black Mauritanians during the late 1980s and 
     early 1990s;
       (4) calls upon the Government of Mauritania to continue to 
     allow all refugees to return to Mauritania and to restore 
     their full rights;
       (5) welcomes Mauritania's recent invitation to 
     international human rights organizations to visit Mauritania; 
     and
       (6) further welcomes the growth of an independent press in 
     Mauritania.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] and the gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood] 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter].
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this legislation was introduced by this 
Member. It is hard to believe that in 1996, chattel slavery continues 
to exist in Mauritania. This gross injustice infringes on the most 
fundamental of human rights of perhaps thousands of that country's 
underclass. Members of

[[Page H8622]]

that group are considered property of masters and expected to perform 
unpaid labor. This body should applaud the independent investigators, 
such as American journalist Sam Cotton, who have labored hard to break 
the conspiracy of silence surrounding this shameful practice.
  It would be bad enough if slavery were the only abuse perpetrated 
against a certain class of Mauritania's people. Unfortunately, it is 
only one element of that country's tragic human rights situation. The 
government has yet to investigate or punish those responsible for the 
massacre in 1990 and 1991 of over 500 military and civilian 
Mauritanians, almost entirely from one ethnic group.
  Mauritania's refugee population continues to suffer. Only a small 
number of the 70,000 Mauritanians who were expelled or fled the country 
from 1989 to 1990 have been resettled. Most of this group continues to 
eke out a bleak existence in squalid refugee camps on Senegal's border, 
stripped of their citizenship and their property in their homeland.

  Finally, although Mauritania's citizens are constitutionally 
guaranteed the right to elect their government, the multiparty 
elections held in 1992 that ended 14 years of military rule were 
considered fraudulent by the U.S. State Department and other 
international observers.
  Mr. Speaker, it is the hope of this Member that House Concurrent 
Resolution 142 will help convince the government of Mauritania to once 
and for all abolish slavery and vigorously prosecute violators of 
existing antislavery laws. It is time that all classes of Mauritanians 
finally be integrated into the full social and economic mainstream of 
their country, a basic right to which they are fully entitled.
  This Member further hopes that the attention generated by this 
resolution will induce Mauritania to schedule free elections and 
rectify other injustices.
  Mr. Speaker, this Member would now like to express his deep 
appreciation to the gentleman from New York, [Mr. Gilman], chairman of 
the Committee on International Relations, whose efforts were 
instrumental in moving House Concurrent Resolution 142 to the floor. In 
addition, this Member would recognize the extraordinary efforts of the 
gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Ros-Lehtinen], the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Africa, who has been a leader in bringing this issue to 
the attention of the world. The gentlewoman has held the important 
hearings on the matter and has done much to expose the continuing 
practice of slavery.
  Lastly, this gentleman would recognize the efforts of the 
distinguished gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne] who has worked in a 
bipartisan manner to help craft a common expression of concern and 
outrage. Finally, this Member would like to parenthetically say he owes 
a great debt of assistance and help from Ms. Angela Clark, a member of 
my staff, in effect, who has been serving as a fellow in that capacity. 
Her work on this issue has been fundamentally important to the Member, 
and I appreciate it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent 
Resolution 142, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I fully support the resolution introduced by 
Mr. Bereuter, House Concurrent Resolution 142, concerning the human 
rights situation in Mauritania, including the continued practice of 
chattel slavery.
  According to the 1995 State Department Human Rights report, tens of 
thousands of Mauritanians continue to live in servitude or near-
servitude. While the Government of Mauritania has prohibited the 
practice of slavery and adopted related measures, much needs to be done 
to eliminate the vestiges of this appalling practice.
  Mr. Bereuter's resolution will put the Congress firmly on the side of 
those Mauritanians who continue to suffer in servitude. In addition, 
the resolution calls upon the Government of Mauritania to take the 
steps necessary to eliminate the vestiges of slavery and bring all 
Mauritanians into the economic and social mainstream of society.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a strong resolution. Mr. Bereuter and Mr. Payne 
of New Jersey, a member of our Subcommittee on Africa, have worked 
closely on this measure. It was supported on a bipartisan basis by the 
entire International Relations Committee. I urge its adoption.
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this resolution, House Concurrent 
Resolution 142. I commend the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] 
for sponsoring this resolution. I also, as well, would like to 
recognize the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne] for his important 
contribution to this issue.
  The effects of slavery in Mauritania remain. Refugee repatriation, 
education of former slaves, and investigations of past atrocities are 
all issues which need attention. I hope this resolution will send a 
message about the importance of helping to improve conditions in 
Mauritania. I urge its adoption.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Subcommittee on Africa 
I urge all our colleagues to give strong support to this resolution 
addressing the appalling situation in Mauritania.
  The resolution was reported out of the Africa Subcommittee by a 
unanimous vote, and reported by the Committee on International 
Relations again by unanimous vote.
  It seems incredible that in the year 1996, we are still faced with 
the need to address reports that chattel slavery exists in any country. 
Reports that slavery continues to exist in practice, if not in law, in 
Mauritania are persuasive.
  We continue to maintain unrelenting pressure on the Government of 
Mauritania to force them to take effective action to eliminate the 
practice of chattel slavery. Their actions to date have been 
ineffective.
  We must focus on the plight of the victims of this practice. What 
could be worse than being held in slavery and to know that your 
children and grandchildren will be condemned to be slaves all their 
lives?
  That human beings are held in bondage, bought and sold like animals, 
is simply not going to be tolerated in this day and age.
  What is needed is for the Government of Mauritania to start to 
enforce the laws against slavery with vigor, and to prosecute those who 
violate those laws.
  The Africa Subcommittee, in conjunction with the Subcommittee on 
International Operations and Human Rights, held a joint hearing on this 
subject, and it was clear that action was needed to bring about a 
positive change and an end to this horrid situation of slavery in 
Mauritania.
  I support this resolution without reservation and urge the House to 
report this resolution by unanimous vote.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Concurrent Resolution 142, regarding human rights in Mauritania. This 
resolution highlights an issue that should sadden and anger all 
Americans. Indeed, the entire world should be outraged.
  One would have thought that at the close of the 20th century, slavery 
would have been consigned to the history books, a painful reminder of 
our own ignorance and inhumanity. Instead, we are confronted with the 
appalling institution of slavery alive and well.
  The evidence seems clear that slavery exists in both Mauritania and 
Sudan, which is why I find the public comments of our Ambassador to 
Mauritania, as well as the relatively weak reference to slavery in 
Mauritania in the recent Human Rights Country Report to be especially 
troubling. The United States should not be down-playing slavery. We 
should be raising our opposition to slavery at every possible 
opportunity.
  Mauritania is violating international law by tolerating the existence 
of slavery and is violating its own domestic laws. There seems to have 
been little effort by the government of Mauritania to stop this 
abhorrent practice, since the government makes no effort to inform 
people of their rights and does not prosecute those who continue to 
hold slaves.
  Mr. Speaker, by adopting this resolution today, the House will send a 
strong signal to the Government of Mauritania that more must be done to 
wipe out the scourge of slavery as well as its vestiges.
  I urge all my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 142.
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 
142, as amended,
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

[[Page H8623]]



                             GENERAL LEAVE

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the legislation just considered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.

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