[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H10798-H10800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONCERNING ECONOMIC, HUMANITARIAN, AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO NORTHERN 
                                SOMALIA

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 20) concerning economic, 
humanitarian, and other assistance to the northern part of Somalia.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 20

       Whereas in the area in the northern part of Somalia, 
     referred to as Somaliland by the elected representatives of 
     the people living there, a significant level of economic and 
     social stability has been achieved, promising likely success 
     for international and United States sponsored economic 
     development and humanitarian programs;
       Whereas economic development, humanitarian, and other forms 
     of assistance to the people of such area from international 
     organizations, the United States, and other foreign nations, 
     has been diminished, delayed, or canceled due to questions 
     about the assertion of sovereignty by those people as a 
     nation separate from Somalia;
       Whereas provision of economic development and humanitarian 
     assistance to the people of such area does not constitute 
     recognition of any particular claim to sovereignty by any de 
     facto government of the region; and
       Whereas the fundamental purpose of economic development, 
     humanitarian, and other aid is to relieve human suffering: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) urges all international organizations, foreign 
     countries, and agencies of the United States Government 
     engaged in economic development, humanitarian, and other 
     forms of bilateral or multilateral assistance to evaluate the 
     ability of such assistance to achieve the amelioration of 
     human suffering in each region of Somalia, including the 
     northern part of Somalia referred to as Somaliland;
       (2) urges the President not to delay, diminish, or cancel 
     the amounts and kinds of assistance otherwise appropriate to 
     the people of certain regions in Somalia because conditions 
     may not be propitious for such assistance in other regions of 
     Somalia;
       (3) urges the President not to delay, diminish, or cancel 
     the amounts and kinds of such assistance directed toward any 
     region in Somalia waiting for a permanent resolution of the 
     efforts now underway to forge a new government for Somalia;
       (4) calls upon all Somali parties to continue to work 
     toward a permanent end to the civil strife there and the 
     adoption of a permanent governmental structure most conducive 
     to the well-being and basic human rights of all Somali 
     people; and
       (5) calls on the President to--
       (A) work with the international community to help bring an 
     end to the suffering of the Somali people and work toward a 
     negotiated settlement of the Somali conflict;
       (B) increase the levels of humanitarian assistance provided 
     to Somalia through local and international groups;
       (C) provide funding for demobilization and demining efforts 
     in Somalia;
       (D) provide assistance in the health and education sectors 
     of Somalia; and
       (E) work with other donor groups to assist the people of 
     Somalia in reconstruction and development.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Con. Res. 20, the concurrent resolution now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, the Horn of Africa is no longer as 
strategically important to our Nation as it once was. However, we 
cannot ignore it as an area of a region with past and continuing 
instability.
  The hostility of the Islamic fundamentalist regime of Sudan toward 
our Nation, the regrettable ongoing war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, 
and the violent clashes between warlords in southern Somalia all bear 
watching. Because of these problems, it is in our national interest to 
identify those portions of the Horn which have demonstrated a degree of 
stability and governance and to encourage them. Northern Somalia, and 
particularly the area once defined as the British protectorate of 
Somaliland, is one such area.
  Our distinguished colleagues, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Campbell) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), traveled to 
that remote region last year. We are grateful to them for their 
energetic diligent service on the Subcommittee on Africa. This 
resolution is a direct result of their eyewitness accounts of a people 
rebuilding their lives and economies after a long troubled period.
  Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to fully support this measure, H. 
Con. Res. 20.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 20.

                              {time}  1300

  Let me once again thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman); the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), chairman of the subcommittee; 
and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson) for bringing this 
resolution to the floor.
  I would also like to thank the primary sponsor, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Campbell), who traveled on CODEL Campbell to Somaliland 
last year, where we had the opportunity to meet with President Egal.
  This resolution expresses several points: Support for humanitarian 
and targeted development assistance for Somaliland. It encourages 
efforts at democratization and transparency. It recognizes the level of 
stability in the region. It encourages freedom of the press. It 
encourages dialogue with other regions in Somalia, and it also calls on 
the U.S. to provide funding for health and education.
  When Somalia gained independence from Britain and Italy, Somalia was 
left with two distinct systems of governing by virtue of the fact that 
they were controlled by different colonial powers.
  The governing body of Northern Somalia was colonized by the British. 
In the south it was colonized by the Italians. As we know, Djibouti, an 
independent country before their independence, was colonized by the 
French.
  The various systems have something to do we believe with the relative 
stability and instability of these regions. Northern Somalia, which was 
colonized by the British, was sort of left intact by the colonial 
hierarchy. They continued to allow traditional leaders to function. 
They allowed local leaders to be able to project themselves, therefore 
creating a more stable environment when independence came.
  Whereas, their Italian counterparts replaced the indigenous 
structures and they had their own Italian model for Southern Somalia 
around Mogadishu. And so, the lack of local leaders being recognized in 
the south by the form of colonization that the Italians had as 
contrasted with that of the north is one of the reasons to explain the 
differences in those two regions.
  ``The Great Conference of the Northern Peoples'' convened a meeting 
in May of 1991 and established the part of Somalia which the people in 
the north call Somaliland. It also promulgated a new Constitution for 
that region. President Egal was reelected to office in 1997 for another 
5-year term by winning 223 votes in their 315-member national 
communities conference.
  Egal's relationship with other clans in Somalia has improved over the 
past years due to his efforts of reaching out to other clan leaders and 
once again having had visibility before independence.
  Somalia is one example of a collapsed system of government by the 
north, as we can see in the past. And so, the opportunity for us to 
visit there with CODEL Campbell to see the schools, the hospitals, the 
civil servants functioning and our recent visit by President Egal 
encourages us to continue to support the efforts that are happening 
there.
  Also, as the war continues between Ethiopia and Eritrea, we see that 
sides in Somalia are being taken by leaders

[[Page H10799]]

between Isaias and Meles. And so, to have the stability in the north is 
very important.
  Mr. Speaker, we urge support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the distinguished 
chairman of our Subcommittee on Africa.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with the Members here 
that this resolution draws a much needed sense of attention by this 
Congress to Somalia, which has ceased to exist as a nation. And so, the 
nation's state, basically, has ended in a situation of near anarchy as 
a result of fighting between factions led by self-serving warlords 
there.
  But this resolution authored by the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Campbell) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) recognizes that 
the northernmost part of Somalia has achieved a significant level of 
economic and social stability.
  I would just like to share with the Members that November 1 in 
Newsweek Magazine they report: ``The people here in the north call 
their territory Somaliland and they want no part of the thuggery to the 
south. In the north, children in crisp, white shirts attend school and 
play cheerful games of soccer. Their parents busily rebuild broken 
homes, hammering new roofs or white-washing walls. And, astonishingly, 
not a gun is in sight.''
  The article in Newsweek goes on to quote the Deputy Parliament 
Speaker, who says, ``We want a nod from Uncle Sam that we're going in 
the right direction. We've established a healthy haven in a very rough 
neighborhood.''
  Well, this should be a given and this resolution does that. However, 
the resolution should not be construed as a call for diplomatic 
recognition of Somaliland per se. In fact, the resolution calls for all 
Somalia parties to work with the international community to achieve a 
permanent end to the civil strife there and the adoption of a permanent 
government structure most conducive to the well-being and basic human 
rights of all Somalia people.
  I would like to commend again the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Campbell) for offering this resolution and the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Payne), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa. I 
would also like to recognize the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), 
our full committee chairman, for his work on this resolution.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell), who is one of 
the original sponsors of this measure.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the chairman of our full 
committee, but for whom we would not have this resolution on the floor 
today, for his generous support for this resolution and, more 
generally, for his support for matters of great importance to all of us 
in regard to Africa.
  I wish to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the 
subcommittee chairman, who has taken the time to learn the subject 
matter, to become an expert, and to lead our Congress on matters of 
importance to all of us regarding Africa.
  I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), my cosponsor and 
the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, with whom I have traveled to 
Africa, who has constantly shared with me his extensive knowledge about 
Africa, gleaned not only from his years in Congress but also from his 
remarkable public service prior thereto in connection with his work 
with the YMCA and humanitarian and refugee assistance. From all these 
sources I have learned a great deal.
  The resolution has a very simple purpose. The United States and 
international assistance agencies ought to help where we can do the 
most good, and we should not hold back that help pending a final and 
perfect resolution of the difficulties in Mogadishu. That is the heart 
of this resolution.
  We do not have to get into the issue of recognition of any country, 
or sub-categories or any countries, contrary to the accepted standards 
of our State Department. All we have to do is recognize that if there 
is in place an instrument that can accept assistance from the World 
Bank, from the Africa Development Bank, from AID, that we then ought to 
go ahead and offer that assistance if we can help needy people.
  What is happening today instead, Mr. Speaker, is that such assistance 
by the World Bank, by the Africa Development Bank, by United States 
AID, is held up because there is no recognized government in Mogadishu. 
That should not be a reason to hold back useful assistance to some 
remarkable people in the northern part of the former country of 
Somalia, who have achieved so much.
  Secondly, the legal status is exactly as my good friend and 
colleague, the subcommittee chairman, has stated. However, bear in mind 
that Somaliland was an independent sovereign state, admittedly for a 
short period, for 6 days; but as they came out of colonial status from 
Britain, they were an independent country. They voluntarily gave up 
that independence to join with formerly Italian colony of Somalia to 
form the State of Somalia.
  Now, under the tremendous strain of a civil war, that union broke 
apart. I emphasize this because the people of the land that was 
Somaliland have aspirations. I do not speak against those aspirations. 
I note, as the subcommittee chair did, that today we do not speak on 
the subject of those aspirations for statehood. We leave that neutral 
and unsaid in this resolution.
  However, so many of our colleagues remember the horror that befell 
American troops trying to do good in Mogadishu, and specifically, the 
American Rangers. That was not the fault of the good people of 
Somaliland. They had nothing to do with it. They had no control over 
Mogadishu. They were not part of the government, such as it was there. 
They were not part of the warring factions in Mogadishu.
  Instead, what we see is a stable area capable of accepting aid and 
using it for needy people. And today, by this resolution, we put on 
record the House of Representatives and, hopefully, the other body as 
well in support of assisting people in ways that can be accepted and 
utilized.
  In conclusion, I want to return to the note of thanks with which I 
began. We would not be here but for the chairman and the subcommittee 
chairman who have given priority to this resolution. It speaks volumes 
for their compassion and concern that they wanted to put this forward 
today. I thank them for doing so.
  I conclude with a final word of thanks again to my good friend, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), whose leadership in this area 
has been exemplary to us all.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by saying I agree with the chairman of 
the subcommittee that this should not be construed as recognition. But 
I must certainly associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Campbell) that this is a unique situation and, in 
the future, perhaps it is something that we need to look at. But I 
agree that this does not connote any type of recognition.
  I do, though, in conclusion urge all independent national 
organizations, foreign countries, and agencies of the United States 
Government to engage in economic development and humanitarian and other 
forms of foreign assistance to evaluate the ability of such assistance 
to achieve the amelioration of human suffering in each region of 
Somalia, including the northern part of Somalia known as Somaliland.
  We urge our President not to delay, diminish, or cancel the amount of 
assistance otherwise necessary to the people of certain regions of 
Somalia because the conditions in the other parts, as has been 
mentioned, are not stable and peaceful; and we encourage the President 
not to delay or diminish aid to certain areas of Somalia that are 
awaiting a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
  We also call on all Somalia parties to continue to work towards a 
permanent end to the civil strife there and to adopt the permanent 
government structure conducive to the well-being and the basic human 
rights of all Somalis.
  This resolution is just presented as a catalyst to deliver 
humanitarian assistance to Somalia and to create a dialogue that will 
end the suffering and confusion within Somalia.

[[Page H10800]]

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. 
Res. 20, the resolution ``Concerning Economic, Humanitarian And Other 
Assistance To Northern Somalia.'' To understand the importance of this 
resolution, we must look to the recent history of politically, 
economically and war torn Somalia.
  Cities in Somalia have traditionally been centers of trade, 
administration and education. Now they lie shattered. In Hargeisa, for 
example, 80 percent of the buildings have been destroyed, supply 
infrastructures like electricity and water have been smashed, the 
schools left roofless and ruined, the hospitals devastated and the 
citizens have suffered without the most basic facilities. Anti-
personnel mines and unexploded shells lie buried in the rubble of the 
city, still deadly, forbidding the clearance of much of the debris. 
Such terrifying conditions in what had been stable and well-established 
cities symbolize the legacy of Siad Barre's disastrous years of power.
  As the Africa Watch Committee set down in its 1990 report on the 
region, ``It is difficult to overstate the Somali government's 
brutality towards its own people, or to measure the impact of its 
murderous policies.'' Two decades of the presidency of President Siad 
Barre have resulted in human rights violations on an unprecedented 
scale, which have devastated the country. Even before the current wars, 
the human rights of Somali citizens were violated systematically, 
violently and with absolute impunity. The most bloody conflict, and the 
longest lasting, has been the war in the North against the Isaak clan, 
the largest in the region.'' Recounts given by the people who have and 
continue to be exposed to physical violence and verbal abuse in Somalia 
paints a picture of dead, wounded, displaced people and impoverished 
and demolished cities.
  Mrs. Fozia Mohamed Awad, speaking of the problems in Northern Somalia 
recants ``I personally lived through the 1985 massacre, when fifty to 
sixty men were driven out of prison and shot by government soldiers. 
This happened in the city of Burao, and there were no trials or court 
appearances, they were just shot down. After these killings, the 
government confiscated our property, established control posts at the 
entrances of our towns and along the highways and nothing could happen 
without them being bribed.''
  One morning the government army arrived at, Fozia Awad's village, 
approaching from a dried-up riverbed. They opened fire, killing all 
they could see--people and animals. They killed her mother and two 
other women relatives. In all, sixty people were killed on that 
occasion at the water point. Then they went to the nearby village and 
killed everybody there, except a few who fled into the bush.
  Mr. Speaker, dear colleagues, H. Con. Res. 46 is extremely important 
in that it expresses the sense of Congress deploring the escalation of 
the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea which has resulted in the 
massive and senseless loss of life, as well as substantial economic 
hardship to the peoples of both nations. This measure strongly urges 
both Eritrea and Ethiopia to bring an immediate end to the violence 
between the two countries and strongly affirms U.S. support for the 
Organization of African Unity (OAU) Framework Agreement. In addition, 
H. Con. Res. 20 calls on the United Nations Human Rights Commission and 
all human rights organizations to investigate human rights abuses in 
connection with the forced detentions, deportations, and displacements 
of populations caused by this conflict.
  I would like to thank my colleagues, Congressman Campbell and 
Congressman Payne for introducing this important resolution. This 
resolution presents a commitment by the United States to the people of 
Somalia. It is for the spirits of the thousands of people who have died 
in Somalia and 60,000 more who have been detained or forced from their 
homes who are crying out for world intervention. This resolution is a 
first step.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gillmor). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
20.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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