[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 112 (Wednesday, September 20, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S8817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         UNHCR DEATH IN GUINEA

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the tragic 
events that occurred over the weekend in the West African country of 
Guinea. West Africa is a very rough neighborhood, and for years Guinea 
has borne a heavy refugee burden, as Liberian and Sierra Leonean people 
have fled into its borders to escape violence in their home countries. 
In fact, Guinea hosts more refugees than any other country in Africa--
nearly half a million of them.
  The region's tensions have, unfortunately, spilled over to affect the 
welfare of refugees. Recently, a crisis erupted when a series of armed 
incursions into Guinea from Liberia and Sierra Leone provoked a violent 
reaction on the part of Guinean authorities who rounded up and arrested 
thousands of foreigners, including refugees, accusing them of aiding 
the attackers.
  On Sunday, in the town of Macenta, Mensah Kpognon, a Togolese 
employee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was 
killed, and another UNHCR worker from the Ivory Coast, Sapeu Laurence 
Djeya, was abducted by unidentified attackers. Reports indicate that 
dozens of civilians were also killed in the raid.
  This terrible tragedy marks the fourth murder of a UNHCR worker in 
less than two weeks. Three others, including an American citizen, 
Carlos Caceres, were murdered on September 6, 2000 in Atambua, West 
Timor by a militia mob while Indonesian armed forces and police failed 
to stop the violence.
  These terrible crimes, committed against individuals who dedicated 
their lives to helping others in need, must not continue. All 
responsible members of the international community must work together 
to provide security for the humanitarian workers laboring in difficult 
conditions around the globe. Governments in the region must ensure that 
those responsible for these acts must be held accountable for their 
actions. Cross-border raids into Guinea must be stopped. And most 
urgently, the governments of West Africa must work to find Sapeu 
Laurence Djeya and to ensure her safety and freedom.

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