[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 15, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H4237-H4241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER ESCALATING VIOLENCE, GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN 
    RIGHTS AND ONGOING ATTEMPTS TO OVERTHROW DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED 
                       GOVERNMENT IN SIERRA LEONE

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 62) expressing concern over the escalating 
violence, the gross violations of human rights, and the ongoing 
attempts to overthrow a democratically elected government in Sierra 
Leone, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 62

       Whereas the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) 
     military junta, which on May 27, 1997, overthrew the 
     democratically elected government of Sierra Leone led by 
     President Ahmed Kabbah, suspended the constitution, banned 
     political activities and public meetings, and invited the 
     rebel fighters of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to 
     join the junta;
       Whereas the AFRC and RUF then mounted ``Operation No Living 
     Thing'', a campaign of killing, egregious human rights 
     violations, and looting, that continued until President 
     Kabbah was restored to power by the Economic Community of 
     West African States Military Observation Group (ECOMOG) on 
     March 10, 1998;
       Whereas the AFRC and RUF have escalated their 8 year reign 
     of terror against the citizens of Sierra Leone, which 
     includes heinous acts such as forcibly amputating the limbs 
     of defenseless civilians of all ages, raping women and 
     children, and wantonly killing innocent citizens;
       Whereas the Kamajor civil defense group has committed 
     summary executions of captured rebels and persons suspected 
     of aiding the rebels;
       Whereas the AFRC and RUF continue to abduct children, 
     forcibly provide them with military training, and place them 
     on the front-line during rebel incursions;
       Whereas countries in and outside of the region, including 
     Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Libya, and mercenaries from 
     Ukraine and other countries, are directly supporting the 
     AFRC/RUF terrorist campaign against the legitimate government 
     and citizens of Sierra Leone;
       Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
     (UNHCR) estimates that last year more than 210,000 Sierra 
     Leoneans fled the country to Guinea, bringing the number to 
     350,000, most of whom have left Sierra Leone to escape the 
     AFRC/RUF campaign of terror and atrocities, as have an 
     additional 90,000 Sierra Leoneans who have sought safe haven 
     in Liberia;
       Whereas the refugee camps in Guinea and Liberia may be at 
     risk of being used as safe

[[Page H4238]]

     havens for rebels and staging areas for attacks against 
     Sierra Leone;
       Whereas the humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone has reached 
     epic proportions with people dying from a lack of food, 
     medical treatment, and medicine, while humanitarian 
     operations are impeded by the countrywide war and the 
     resultant destruction of infrastructure;
       Whereas the Nigerian-led intervention force, ECOMOG, has 
     deployed some 15,000 troops in Sierra Leone in an attempt to 
     end the cycle of violence and ensure the maintenance of its 
     democratically elected government at the request of the 
     legitimate Government of Sierra Leone and with the support of 
     the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS);
       Whereas the escalating violence and terror in Sierra Leone 
     perpetrated by the rebel AFRC/RUF threatens stability in West 
     Africa and has the immediate potential of spilling over into 
     Guinea and Liberia;
       Whereas the ECOWAS Group of Seven recently met in Guinea in 
     an attempt to bring about a cessation of hostilities and a 
     negotiated settlement of the conflict; and
       Whereas the United Nations report in February 1999 
     documented human rights abuses by the RUF, the Kamajor civil 
     defense group, and summary executions by ECOMOG: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) welcomes the cessation of hostilities and calls for the 
     respect of human rights by all combatants;
       (2) applauds the effective diplomacy of the Department of 
     State and the Reverend Jesse Jackson, United States Special 
     Presidential Envoy for the promotion of democracy in Africa, 
     particularly the successful efforts in helping to formulate a 
     cease-fire arrangement;
       (3) supports the efforts of all parties to bring lasting 
     peace and national reconciliation in Sierra Leone;
       (4) calls on all parties, including government officials 
     and the RUF, to commit to a cease-fire;
       (5) appeals to all parties to the conflict to engage in 
     dialogue without any preconditions to bring about a long-term 
     solution to this civil strife in Sierra Leone;
       (6) supports the people of Sierra Leone in their quest for 
     a democratic and stable country and a reconciled society;
       (7) urges the President, the Secretary of State, and the 
     Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs to support 
     the democratically elected government of Sierra Leone and 
     continue to give high priority to helping resolve the 
     devastating conflict in that country, which would be an 
     important contribution to stability in the West Africa 
     region;
       (8) abhors the gross violations of human rights ongoing in 
     Sierra Leone, including the dismemberment of citizens 
     (including children) by the Armed Forces Revolutionary 
     Council (AFRC) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and 
     demands that they immediately stop such heinous acts;
       (9) condemns the West African countries and those outside 
     the region that are aiding the AFRC/RUF and demands they 
     immediately withdraw their combatants and cease providing 
     military, financial, political, and other types of assistance 
     to the rebels in Sierra Leone;
       (10) applauds the Economic Community of West African States 
     Military Observation Group (ECOMOG) for its support of the 
     legitimate Government of Sierra Leone and urges it to 
     diversify its forces with troops from additional Economic 
     Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries and 
     remain engaged in Sierra Leone until a comprehensive 
     settlement of the conflict is achieved;
       (11) calls upon the United States to provide increased, 
     appropriate logistical and political support for ECOMOG;
       (12) calls on the United States to appoint an independent 
     commission to investigate human rights violations;
       (13) calls on the United Nations Security Council to fully 
     support, financially and diplomatically, the activities of 
     the human rights section of the United Nations Observer 
     Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL);
       (14) calls upon the United States to provide increased, 
     appropriate logistical and political support for Ghana and 
     Mali, countries that participate in ECOMOG; and
       (15) urges the President to appoint a special envoy for 
     Sierra Leone.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 62, the resolution now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. ROYCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, this resolution addresses the tragic 
situation in Sierra Leone where the democratically elected government 
of President Ahmed Kabbah has been under siege by rebel forces. The RUF 
rebels, as the Subcommittee on Africa has heard, have used despicable 
tactics of political terror against civilians, which does throw into 
serious question these forces' commitment to a peaceful and democratic 
Sierra Leone.
  We can only hope that the current cease-fire and ongoing political 
negotiations between the government and the RUF will produce a lasting 
political settlement.
  Today, Sierra Leone is suffering a humanitarian crisis with hundreds 
of thousands of Sierra Leoneans having had to flee their country.
  As this resolution notes, Sierra Leoneans are suffering from a lack 
of food. They are suffering from a lack of medicine. As a matter of 
fact, the suffering is acute. Many victims have lost their hands, have 
lost their limbs. Many have severed lips and severed ears because of 
political terror. Amputation is a part of the tactics used by the RUF 
in order to terrorize the opposition.
  This resolution calls for an end to hostilities which, frankly, have 
the potential of destabilizing all of West Africa. It condemns the 
gross human rights violations that have shocked the world, and there 
should be no doubt it is the rebels that have been by far the greatest 
perpetrators of human rights violations in Sierra Leone.
  This resolution calls on specific West African countries to cease 
providing military aid to rebel forces, and that aid, of course, aids 
and abets their carnage. It calls on the U.S. to provide additional 
support for ECOMOG forces that are providing a measure of stability in 
Sierra Leone. Clearly, the U.S. needs to do more for ECOMOG.
  The situation in Sierra Leone greatly concerns many Members of 
Congress. Over the last year, the Subcommittee on Africa has held two 
hearings on this conflict. This resolution introduced by the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) reflects what this subcommittee has learned 
through these hearings. I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution 
concerning Sierra Leone. I would especially like to thank the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Royce) of the Subcommittee on Africa for his work 
on this very important issue. I should also like to thank the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Gilman), and the ranking member, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), for bringing this resolution up so swiftly 
through the full committee last week.
  Let me also thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings), who has been concerned about Sierra Leone for many, many 
years and for his resolution last week that congratulated everyone 
involved, especially the Reverend Jesse Jackson, for securing a cease-
fire between President Kabbah and Corporal Foday Sankhoy at the talks.
  I am pleased that the cease-fire was called and serious negotiations 
are beginning in Lome. I know that the President of Togo, General 
Gnassingbe Eyadema, is anxious to get the process moving forward.
  Mr. Speaker, the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone has gone on for 8 
horrific years. Even during the 30 years of independence, we have seen 
a country that has been governed improperly, where resources have not 
been used throughout the country, and that you have a different country 
from Freetown and the rest of the country. Twenty thousand people have 
been killed, hundreds have been maimed, and hundreds of thousands have 
been displaced; and, as we have heard about the horrendous violence 
from the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) previously, there is not 
anyplace in the world where the atrocities to this degree should be 
allowed to go on.
  H. Res. 62 expresses the sentiment of the House of Representatives 
that it is time for the war to end and for all combatants to commit to 
maintaining the cease-fire and continue talks that will lead to peace 
and true national reconciliation.

[[Page H4239]]

  H. Res. 62 abhors the violence against innocent civilians that has 
characterized the late stages of the conflict. Additionally, the 
resolution condemns the human rights violations by all combatants, the 
RUF, the Kabbah government, the Nigerian-led ECOMOG.
  H. Res. 62 calls upon the United States Government to increase its 
diplomatic efforts by pressuring the government and the rebels to 
remain at the peace talks. It will be difficult because of the 
brutality of the conflict but, we must urge them to sit at the table 
and come up with a negotiated settlement.
  The government of the U.S. is encouraged to appoint an independent 
commission to investigate human rights allegations and appoint a 
special envoy for Sierra Leone in an effort to stop the fighting and 
end the war.
  To date, a cease-fire has been in effect since May 25, 1999. The 
government of Sierra Leone, headed by the democratically elected 
President Kabbah and the rebel Revolutionary United Front, called the 
RUF, have worked out an agreement for exchange of prisoners.
  However, the diplomatic effort of the U.S., the UK, ECOWAS and other 
diplomats will be tested as the two sides grapple with the tricky and 
final issues of power sharing, a transitional government and the 
removal of foreign troops.
  The stakes are high in Sierra Leone. The stability of the West 
African region depends on peace and stability within its regions.

                              {time}  1100

  As I said, we commend Reverend Jesse Jackson and the State 
Department, but the people of Sierra Leone must resolve their deep 
seeded ethnic, social, economic, and political problems for peace to 
have a chance to take root.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), who has had a special interest in 
the humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone, and who has worked with his 
church to try to urge adoption of this resolution.
  (Mr. EHLERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Royce) for yielding me this time.
  I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) for his 
activities in this area and for the work he has done on Sierra Leone. I 
sponsored a similar resolution last year, although not as detailed as 
this one, because issues had not developed to this point.
  The gentleman from California has been extremely helpful and very 
interested in the Sierra Leone issue and has done all that can be done 
in the Congress to address this issue.
  I also wish to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for 
sponsoring this resolution and bringing it to our attention. I 
appreciate his interest and his support in this effort.
  It is very troubling when one examines the situation in Sierra Leone. 
It is particularly troubling when one compares our Nation's response to 
this situation to the response we mounted in in Kosovo and Yugoslavia. 
It is dangerous to make comparisons, of course, because they are far 
different parts of the world. But I do find it troubling that, even 
though Sierra Leone had more deaths and more people displaced than 
Kosovo at the time the bombing began in Kosovo and Yugoslavia, we did 
not chose to take action in Sierra Leone. Furthermore, this is a clear 
case, I believe, showing aggression or at least involvement from other 
nations outside of Sierra Leone, particularly Liberia. There is clear 
evidence of that, but there is also substantial evidence that Libya has 
been involved in stirring the pot and creating great difficulties 
there.
  My interest in this goes back almost 20 years. I was involved in a 
task force on world hunger appointed by my denomination, the Christian 
Reformed Church of North America. I am results-oriented, and I insisted 
that we develop recommendations that would be meaningful and that our 
small denomination could handle with its 350,000 members. We came up 
with the suggestion for our denomination to adopt Sierra Leone and help 
them in every way possible.
  Our church has been active there for some time but has been forced by 
events of the last year to withdraw. We had substantial success in 
Sierra Leone in helping with development, particularly in the bush 
region, and helping them drill wells, provide water, start farming, and 
develop economically as well as agriculturally. In addition, we have 
tried to help in other areas, in cooperation with the government.
  It is a great disappointment to see the situation deteriorate in 
Sierra Leone. In fact, one of the national workers in our church's 
effort there was killed recently while innocently walking down the 
street. When the RUF gunman was asked why he shot this person, his 
response was, ``Well, I have not shot anyone for a week; I thought it 
was about time.''
  This is the type of terror that is taking place there. But in some 
ways, it is even worse than in Kosovo, because not only are people 
being shot and killed, but they are also being tortured.
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) mentioned the amputations. 
It is very common there to chop off hands or feet, and sometimes both, 
and then turn people loose. Many of them, of course, die from loss of 
blood before they can get medical help. But regardless of whether they 
die or survive, it is a terrible act. Those survivors not only suffer, 
but are hampered from earning a living for the rest of their life.
  What has troubled me most is that the United States Government has 
not responded as forcefully as I believe it could.
  I say to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) I particularly 
appreciate that part of his resolution that calls on us to offer 
whatever assistance we can. It would take a minimal amount of 
assistance to deal with this situation and help the forces of ECOMOG, 
which are from the other neighboring nations, overthrow the rebels and 
provide peace and stability to that country; and, yet, we have provided 
very little assistance. I hope that this resolution will be one means 
of addressing that situation and stabilizing the nation.
  Once again, I want to emphasize to the Congress the importance of 
this issue and how destabilizing it is, not only in Sierra Leone, not 
only in this region; but in fact, in all of West Africa. If our Nation 
does not indicate a willingness to aid peace and stability in that 
region, we will likely to have very serious problems to contend with 
there in the future.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate those remarks from the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings) from our committee, who has worked hard on this issue.
  (Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Payne), the ranking member, for yielding me this time. I 
thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Africa, for bringing this matter forward in an 
expeditious matter.
  Like the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), I would like to 
associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Ehlers) that were just made.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H. Res. 62, 
which expresses concern over the escalating violence and the gross 
violations of human rights in Sierra Leone.
  On May 27, 1997, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, the military 
junta, overthrew the democratically elected government of Sierra Leone 
led by President Ahmed Kabbah, suspended the Constitution, banned 
political activities, and invited the rebel fighters of the 
Revolutionary United Front to join the junta.
  The resolution, as offered, calls for immediate cessation of 
hostilities and respect for human rights by all combatants in Sierra 
Leone. It encourages parties to engage in dialogue without 
preconditions; abhors human rights violations by the Armed Forces 
Revolutionary Council and Revolutionary United Front against innocent 
civilians, including children; encourages the United States to provide 
increased and appropriate logistical political support for ECOMOG and 
other participating countries; and calls upon all combatants to commit 
a cease-fire. It

[[Page H4240]]

also commends Reverend Jesse Jackson for his extraordinary diplomacy in 
this area.
  Mr. Speaker, as legislators committed to promoting democracy the 
world over, we have followed with great interest the efforts undertaken 
by many countries in Africa seeking to promote democracy. Thus, it has 
been my belief that the United States has a responsibility to help 
countries in Africa succeed in their efforts toward stabilization, both 
for humanitarian reasons and because it is in the interest of 
democracy. We must do all within our power to assist in stabilizing the 
situation in Sierra Leone.
  I urge our colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H. Res. 62, 
which expresses concern over the escalating violence, and the gross 
violations of human rights in Sierra Leone.
  Mr. Speaker, on May 27, 1997, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council 
(AFRC) military junta, overthrew the democratically elected government 
of Sierra Leone led by President Ahmed Kabbah, suspended the 
constitution, banned political activities, and invited the rebel 
fighters of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to join the junta.
  This resolution calls for immediate cessation of hostilities and 
respect for human rights by all combatants in Sierra Leone. It 
encourages parties to engage in dialogue without preconditions; abhors 
human rights violations by Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and 
Revolutionary United Front against innocent civilians, including 
children; encourages the U.S. to provide increased and appropriate 
logistical, political support for ECOMOG and other participating 
countries and calls upon all combatants to commit to a cease fire.
  Mr. Speaker, as legislators committed to promoting democracy the 
world over, we have followed with great interest the efforts undertaken 
by many countries in Africa seeking to promote democracy. Thus, it has 
long been my belief that the United States has a responsibility to help 
countries in Africa succeed in their efforts towards stabilization, 
both for humanitarian reasons and because it is in democracies' best 
interest. We must do all within our power to stabilize the situation in 
Sierra Leone.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks).
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of 
House Resolution 62, which expresses concerns on the escalating 
violence in Sierra Leone. This resolution deals with the genocide, 
forced servitude either in the Army and/or enslavement, because it 
deals with gross human rights violations, and it threatens the 
stability of a democratic government and a democratic society.
  Not too long ago, Mr. Speaker, I stood here on the floor of the House 
saying, as we were involved with the escalating violence in Kosovo, 
that genocide is genocide, and it is wrong no matter where it is.
  I say that the genocide that is taking place now in Sierra Leone must 
be stopped; and we must, as Members of the House and members of the 
administration, pay attention to what is going on in Sierra Leone and 
on the continent of Africa. For, indeed, there is a saying that ``to 
whom much is given, much is required.'' Much has been given to this 
great Nation of ours, and therefore much is required of it.
  If we turn our backs on the wrong, the moral wrong, the children who 
are being murdered and maimed every day, who are not getting an 
education, who are not getting the opportunity to compete in the global 
society in which we now live, then we are wrong as Members of this 
House, and we are wrong as a Nation.
  We must make efforts. We must put our money where our mouths are. We 
must make sure that we stop the wrong that is going on in Sierra Leone 
so that a civilized society can come back to an existence. We must put 
our foot down as we did in Kosovo to say that enough is enough, and we 
are going to have a civil government and stop the kinds of inhuman 
treatment and injustices that are taking place.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me once again thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) for 
bringing this very important resolution to the floor.
  Let me just say in conclusion that Sierra Leone is a country that 
many people do not realize in addition to Liberia, where free men and 
women went back to Africa to create the country of Liberia back in 
1822, and then under President Monroe, Liberia was founded in 1847, 
called Liberia for free men in Monrovia, its free city, Sierra Leone 
was founded also by freed slaves that went to Freetown.
  Many of these persons actually fought in the Revolutionary War, and 
they fought for the British actually. The British guaranteed that, if 
they won the war, or when the war was concluded, that these persons 
would earn their freedom by fighting with the British against the 
colonists. Of course many African Americans also fought with the 
colonists.
  As my colleagues know, Crispus Attucks was the first person killed in 
the Boston Massacre in May of 1770. So Freetown does have some links to 
African-Americans.
  Many Sierra Leonans also went to South Carolina where many of them 
still speak a dialect. So we feel there is an importance to not only 
African-Americans, but to all Americans in that we should move to see 
that this terrible war ends and that the cease-fire holds, and that we 
can move on to reconciliation as we have seen in Namibia after their 
long civil war and we saw in Mozambique in that war when people sat at 
the table and came up with a solution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank the participants of this 
debate. I have enjoyed working with Mr. Payne and the other members of 
the Subcommittee on Africa on this resolution, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution.
  Mr. Royce, Mr. Payne, and the Members of the Subcommittee on African 
Affairs are to be congratulated for their attention to the difficult 
political and humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone.
  When Sierra Leone received independence from Britain in 1961, it had 
everything going for it. The fierce tribalism that plagues some African 
nations never developed there, and although there are 14 ethnic groups, 
urban life has led to a blending of cultures. Sierra Leone benefited 
from strong educational institutions at the time of independence and 
boasts many highly educated citizens. But after independence, corrupt 
politicians found it relatively easy to consolidate power and 
accumulate great wealth.
  Neighboring Liberia's civil war spilled over into Sierra Leone ten 
years ago, and faction leader Charles Taylor, now Liberia's president, 
armed and supported a Sierra Leone rebel group, the Revolutionary 
United Front. Led by Foday Sankoh, a cashiered army corporal, the RUF 
has demonstrated no discernible political agenda. Its followers have 
murdered and maimed thousands of the poorest people. Like the Shining 
Path in Peru, the RUF terrorizes the population to ensure compliance. 
RUF leaders recruit teenage and pre-teen boys and girls, sometimes 
forcing them to kill their own families before taking them from their 
rural villages at gunpoint. The practice of amputation and carving RUF 
initials into the skin of children became commonplace.
  Sierra Leoneans finally rose up and demanded elections. In 1996 they 
poured into the streets, even battling soldiers to protect ballot 
boxes. In the first democratic elections in many years, they chose 
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, a retired U.N. diplomat, as President.
  Kabbah never came to grips with the country's many problems. In May 
1997, the army seized the capital again and invited the RUF to join 
them in looting the city. Nine months later, Nigerian troops operating 
under the Economic Community of West Africa Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) 
ousted the vandals and restored Kabbah to power.
  On January 6 of this year, the RUF launched another offensive on the 
capital and destroyed the country's largest hospital, its 170-year-old 
university, and its new telecommunications center before the ECOMOG 
troops drove them out again.
  For the moment, there is a sign of hope. On May 18, 1999, President 
Kabbah and rebel leader Sankoh signed a cease-fire agreement. This 
tenuous peace must be guarded and nurtured. This resolution is an 
important step in sustaining continued U.S. engagement and support.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). 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 62, as 
amended.

[[Page H4241]]

  The question was taken.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________