[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H5513-H5515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE CONGO
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 175) expressing concern over the outbreak of
violence in the Republic of Congo and the resulting threat to scheduled
elections and constitutional government in that country, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 175
Whereas President Pascal Lissouba defeated former President
Denis Sassou-Nguesso in a 1992 election that was determined
to be free and fair;
Whereas losing candidates raised questions concerning the
results of the 1993 legislative election and used those
concerns to cast doubt on the entire democratic process in
the Republic of Congo and as the rationale for creating
private militias;
Whereas thousands of citizens of the Republic of Congo have
been killed in intermittent fighting between Government
soldiers and private militiamen since 1993;
Whereas there are concerns about the unfinished census and
resulting electoral list to be used in the scheduled July 27
election;
Whereas the recent fighting resulted from the Government's
attempt to disarm former
[[Page H5514]]
President Sassou-Nguesso's ``Cobra'' militia in advance of
the scheduled July 27 election;
Whereas the fighting and uneasy peace has caused serious
loss of life and diminished ability to care for those who are
without access to adequate medical care or food and water;
Whereas the fighting between Government troops and
militiamen have forced the evacuation from the country of
foreign nationals and endangered refugees from both Rwanda
and the former Zaire; and
Whereas African governments have attempted to bring about a
negotiated settlement to the current crisis: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the current fighting and urges the warring
parties to reach a lasting ceasefire that will allow for
humanitarian needs to be addressed as soon as possible;
(2) calls on all private militia to disarm and disband
immediately to end the continuing threat to peace and
stability in the Republic of Congo;
(3) commends African leaders from Gabon, Equatorial Guinea,
Cameroon, Benin, Central African Republic, Senegal, and Chad
for their efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement and
encourages their continuing efforts to find a sustainable
political settlement in this matter;
(4) supports the deployment of an African peacekeeping
force to the Republic of Congo if deemed necessary;
(5) urges the Government of the Republic of Congo, in
cooperation with all legal political parties, to resolve in a
transparent manner questions concerning the scheduled
elections and to prepare for open and transparent elections
at the earliest feasible time; and
(6) encourages the United States government to provide
technical assistance on election related matters if requested
by the Government of the Republic of Congo.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York [Mr. Gilman] and the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Luther] each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us was introduced by the gentleman
from California [Mr. Royce] the distinguished chairman of our
Subcommittee on Africa. This resolution expresses our grave concern
about the violence and chaos that have taken hold in the Republic of
Congo. This is Congo Brazzaville, Mr. Speaker, not the Democratic
Republic of Congo which was formerly known as Zaire.
The Republic of Congo is a small nation with only 2\1/2\ million
people, but over the past few years it has been a beacon of hope in a
troubled region. Congo held democratic elections in 1992. Recent oil
discoveries have given hope for a better life for the Congolese people.
Although Congo has always been troubled by ethnic difficulties, many
people believe that there was a new opportunity for reconciliation and
democracy. Regrettably, those hopes have now been dashed by the recent
violence in Congo which has taken thousands of lives in the capital of
Brazzaville and other areas.
Mr. Speaker, there are no good guys in this latest violence. Neither
the elected government nor its opponents have demonstrated an ability
to restrain their worst impulses. This resolution firmly puts the
Congress on the side of the Congolese people, urging an end to the
fighting and supporting the work of those who seek reconciliation
between the warring factions.
Accordingly I urge the House to adopt this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUTHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey [Mr. Menendez] the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa.
(Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Subcommittee
on Africa, I and a cosponsor of this resolution, and I want to thank
the chairman of the committee for his diligence in putting it forth and
for working with us on its language; we are very concerned about the
ongoing violence in the Republic of Congo, and although a truce was
called between President Lissouba and former President Denis Sassou
Nguesso on June 17, reports of gunfire and shellings still continue to
this date, and it has been estimated that between 1,000 and 3,000
people have died as a result of the fighting.
President Lissouba won his seat in 1992 in an election that was
determined to be free and fair and, as in Sierra Leone, we cannot
tolerate violence as a format for change. The Congo was scheduled to
hold elections on July 27. Elections are the appropriate format for
change, if so decided by the people of the Congo. It is crucial that
the two parties come together to negotiate a real truce and to
reschedule elections, and certainly it is not too late to get things
back on track.
The draft declaration issued by the Foreign Ministers of the West
African Economic and Monetary Union in which they stated that they are
prepared to join a peacekeeping force to restore peace in the Congo is
demonstrative of a growing consensus among African nations for a
proactive and African response to the outbreak of violence on the
continent, and I think we should welcome their declaration.
Again I want to thank the gentleman from California [Mr. Royce] for
responding quickly in drafting the resolution. It is important that the
Congress clearly condemn the fighting, place its support behind
democracy, negotiation, elections, peace, and ultimately behind the
will of the people of the Republic of the Congo.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from California [Mr. Royce], our chairman of the Subcommittee
on Africa.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, since violence in the Congo escalated several
weeks ago, an estimated 3,000 lives have been lost. What started as an
effort by Congo President Pascal Lissouba to safeguard the upcoming
election by neutralizing the so-called cobra militia which is operated
by a political rival, this situation has degenerated into ethnic
cleansing and into political wrangling.
All this has developed beneath the media's radar. As the world
watched the unraveling of the Mobutu regime in the neighboring country
then known as Zaire, now the Congo, the Congo itself was seen as a safe
haven for refugees from the collapsing nation. Western nations sent
military forces to Congo to evacuate their citizens from Zaire. So it
was shocking to find several weeks later that foreign nationals had to
be evacuated from Congo Brazzaville and that refugees from that nation
were running for safety to what is now sometimes called Congo-Kinshasa.
Today nearly a quarter of the population of the capital city of
Brazzaville has left town to avoid being caught in the fighting.
Unfortunately, these refugees have found themselves stopped along the
way, and if they belong to the wrong ethnic group, militia men do what
is called there making them travel, and to make someone travel means
being taken away and killed. More than 2,500 Congolese were killed in
ethnic fighting after the disputed 1993 election, and now ethnic
tensions in the central African nation has dramatically worsened.
It is too late for elections to be held as planned on July 27. A
dispute between President Lissouba and former President Denis Sassou
Nguesso on the elections now threatens the future of Congo's developing
democracy. President Lissouba has called for a 3-month postponement of
elections and for his ruling mandate which expires next month. However,
Mr. Sassou Nguesso wants the President to leave office next month and
be replaced by a transitional government for 2 years. This resolution
is a reinforcement of our Government's commitment to the democratic
process in Congo-Brazzaville.
The threat to elected government and rule of law in Congo must be
dealt with now, and a lasting solution to this ethnic and political
crisis must be found. African nations and African leaders have been
trying to broker a peace. There have been several cease-fires since the
fighting began in June, but none of them have held longer than a few
days. We are in the midst of yet another cease-fire as we speak.
Meanwhile, a peacekeeping force is being gathered, but it will not be
deployed until both factions agree to stand down. U.S. encouragement of
the ongoing peace process as expressed in this resolution would bolster
the peace process at this point.
This resolution I am offering calls for a halt to the fighting and a
lasting
[[Page H5515]]
peace that will allow for considerable humanitarian needs of the
Congolese people to be met and for the holding of elections at the
earliest agreeable time.
{time} 1545
Moreover, we call for the disarming and disbandment of the private
militias, which are a continuing threat to peace and stability. And,
finally, we call upon the parties involved in the elections to address
and resolve questions concerning the election process so that there can
be fair and free elections in the Congo.
Over the past several years nations caught in seemingly intractable
conflict have managed to successfully complete a democratic transition:
South Africa, Malawi, and Mozambique are but three examples of this
process, and Liberia, we will see if that will be a new example.
There is no reason to expect any less from the Congo. Although these
developments are halfway around the world, they matter. America has a
great deal to gain from a healthy democratic Africa, and a stable Congo
is a part of that. We have discussed this measure with the
administration, which supports the approach taken on the resolution to
the current crisis in the Congo. I urge the House to approve this
resolution and to address the worsening crisis in the Republic of
Congo.
Mr. LUTHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution because I believe this draws
attention to an explosive situation in Central Africa. I commend the
gentleman from California, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa,
for introducing it and for working with the chairman of the committee
to move it forward.
By reflecting the views of the U.S. Congress on this important issue,
I hope this resolution will encourage the parties to maintain the
question and reach a political solution in their ongoing talks. I urge
adoption of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw].
Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege, along with Chairman Archer of the
Committee on Ways and Means, to travel to Brazzaville and then to the
Ndoke Forest in the Republic of Congo. While there we spent
considerable time with President Lissouba and got to know him quite
well, as well as his daughter, who is a medical doctor.
President Lissouba by background is a college professor. He is a very
gentle man who believes in the democratic process, and believes deeply
in the future of his country, and believes deeply in the welfare of the
people that he serves.
The Republic of Congo is an emerging country in Africa that does have
a number of important natural resources. The American investors are
finding a friendly reception in Brazzaville as they are investing not
only in the oil but also in many of the other assets and resources in
the Republic of Congo.
I am very concerned, as I am sure other Members are, of the virus of
revolution which seems to be spreading across Africa. It is important
that we show our resolve to put forth and help enforce and hold in
place democratic principles. The election that was scheduled for just
next week has been postponed, not because of any fault of the present
administration under President Lissouba but because of the revolt that
is going on in that country today. Never did I think when we were there
just a few months ago that the democratic process would be interfered
with as it is today.
I would like to speak briefly of another interest that the United
States has in the Republic of Congo. The Republic of Congo has been
very cooperative with us in looking at and supporting a United States
AID project in the Ndoke Forest which goes toward the preservation not
only of the rain forest but also of the rain forest elephants that are
present there, as well as the rain forest gorillas. These are species
that are very much endangered. We have found great cooperation from the
Republic of Congo in cooperating with the United States' interest in
the preservation of these wonderful creatures.
We have also found the need and concern that we have to do more for
the preservation of the rain forest, and the great concern that we have
as to some of the logging operations which are not only devastating
these rain forests, but also because of the use of the gorillas and
other wildlife in the area, using them as camp meat.
The rain forest does have a very definite effect on our weather.
Being from Florida, this is right in the area where hurricanes are
created. We do have a very, very large stake in seeing that there is a
friendly government that we can work with for the preservation of these
great natural resources.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida [Mr.
Shaw] for his supporting comments.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Snowbarger). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from California [Mr. Royce] that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution
175, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. LUTHER. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of order of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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