[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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