[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 80 (Thursday, June 22, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H5033]
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, and include extraneous 
material.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening with concern over our 
administration's role in trampling the rights of the people of Western 
Sahara.
  For several years, both Morocco and Western Sahara have participated 
in intense negotiations led by former Secretary of State James Baker. 
The negotiations ended in both parties agreeing to a referendum for 
self-determination.
  Unfortunately, the recent May 30 meeting of the U.N. revealed that 
both France and the U.S. administration are now willing to abandon the 
settlement plan and the right of the Sahrawi people through self-
determination.
  Our taxpayers, through the U.N., have invested $530 million in 
peacekeeping to end the conflict in Northwest Africa.
  Why is our government supportive of East Timorese and now willing to 
allow the human rights of Sahrawis to be thoroughly violated?
  I include for the Record a letter that expresses the dismay of 
Members of Congress on our administration's action.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                    Washington, DC, June 12, 2000.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     President, The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: We are writing to express our great 
     concern over the continued delay in the United Nations 
     holding a free, fair, and transparent referendum for the 
     people of Western Sahara. The continued postponements reflect 
     an apparent lack of willingness of the United Nations and the 
     United States Administration to use their leadership to urge 
     all parties involved to follow through with their commitments 
     to uphold the fundamental human right of self-determination 
     for the people of Western Sahara.
       We are pleased that finally, after nine long years and the 
     expenditure of approximately $500 million on peacekeeping 
     efforts, the United Nations was able to establish a public 
     list of eligible voters on January 17, 2000. We know that the 
     identification process was difficult and we congratulate the 
     United Nations for successfully accomplishing this difficult 
     task. We are very concerned, however, about reports in the 
     United Nations that the U.S. Administration and the French 
     Government are contemplating abandoning the negotiated, 
     signed settlement plans under the pretext that there 
     allegedly is no mechanism to enforce the result of the 
     referendum. The May 30, 2000 meeting of the United Nations 
     Security Council revealed that these two governments are 
     willing to completely disregard the negotiated Settlement 
     Plan and the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-
     determination. Mr. President, the fact that our 
     Administration is willing to disregard the right of the 
     Sahrawi people to self-determination when the American 
     Revolution was based upon that very right is shameful. We 
     have supported the right of the people of East Timor to 
     determine their future. The people of Western Sahara deserve 
     no less.
       It is vital that neither the United States nor any other 
     nation or international body pre-judge the results of the 
     referendum--a referendum which both Morocco and the Polisario 
     have agreed to and which the United States taxpayers and 
     others have invested over $530 million. The failure of the 
     United Nations to hold this referendum regarding the Western 
     Sahara would lead to instability and insecurity in North 
     Africa and the blame would fall squarely on the shoulders of 
     the United Nations, the Administration of the United States, 
     and the French Government.
       Mr. President, it would be more unfortunate if the United 
     States encouraged or was part of a movement to undermine the 
     fundamental human right of self-determination and carefully 
     negotiated agreements about the Western Sahara. We 
     respectfully urge you to use your leadership position to 
     remind the King of Morocco of his commitments to the 
     Settlement Plan and allowing the referendum over Western 
     Sahara to proceed without further delay.
       Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We 
     look forward to hearing from you.
           Sincerely,
         Joseph R. Pitts; Donald M. Payne; Wayne T. Gilchrest; 
           David M. McIntosh; William J. Jefferson; Charles T. 
           Canady; Jim DeMint; James A. Traficant, Jr.; Eni F.H. 
           Faleomavaega; Bob Clement; Steve Largent; Sanford D. 
           Bishop, Jr.; Christopher H. Smith; Anna G. Eshoo; Tony 
           P. Hall; Gene Green; Tom Tancredo; Richard H. Baker; 
           Alcee L. Hastings; Ron Packard; Luis V. Gutierrez; 
           Robert A. Borski.

                          ____________________