[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WESTERN SAHARA

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge all parties involved in 
the 20-year conflict over Western Sahara to fulfill their commitments 
under the Houston Agreement and the United Nations mandate.
  The parties negotiated a cease-fire with the understanding that the 
people of Western Sahara themselves could participate in a free, fair, 
and transparent referendum to decide their own future either as a part 
of Morocco or as an independent country.
  However, the July 10 report by Secretary General Kofi Annan raises 
particular issues of concern about the referendum process: Obstructions 
to the UN opening an office in the territory, the lack of progress in 
the demining of the territory, and the refusal of Morocco to identify 
2,000 individuals to vote in the referendum.
  Mr. Speaker, a free, fair and transparent referendum is vital to 
lasting peace and increased stability in North Africa. All parties 
involved in the referendum process should maintain their commitments to 
the utmost.
  A failure to hold a referendum would be a failure to all parties 
involved, including the international community.

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