[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 20, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H241-H243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNING VIOLENT SUPPRESSION IN GUINEA
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1013) condemning the violent
suppression of legitimate political dissent and gross human rights
abuses in the Republic of Guinea, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1013
Whereas, on December 23, 2008, a military junta calling
itself the National Council for Democracy and Development
(CNDD) seized power in the Republic of Guinea hours after the
death of longtime President Lansana Conte, suspended the
national legislature and the constitution, and committed to
hold free and fair national elections as part of a ``peaceful
transition'' to a civilian-led government;
Whereas delays in electoral preparations and statements by
CNDD leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara that he might run for
president, in contravention of earlier commitments that
neither he nor any other member of the CNDD would run as a
candidate in the elections, provoked increasing public
discontent with the junta;
Whereas, on September 28, 2009, tens of thousands of
unarmed civilians gathered at a the national soccer stadium
in Conakry to protest against the CNDD;
Whereas security forces responded by surrounding the
stadium and opening fire with live ammunition on the crowd,
reportedly killing over 150 people and injuring over 1,000;
Whereas prominent opposition leaders were then beaten and
arrested by soldiers; demonstrators and opposition party
members were detained without charge; and at least 60 women
were brutally raped, sexually molested, or killed by security
forces, many of them in public and in full sight of their
commanders;
Whereas an investigation by Human Rights Watch indicates
that ``the [stadium] massacre and widespread rape were
organized and premeditated'' and that armed forces had
attempted to ``hide evidence of the crimes by seizing bodies
from the stadium and the city's morgues and burying them in
mass graves'';
Whereas the security forces responsible for the violence on
September 28, 2009, reportedly included troops from the
Presidential Guard and gendarmes working with the State
Secretariat for Special Services, both of which answer
directly to the presidency;
Whereas, on October 30, 2009, the United Nations Secretary-
General announced the appointment of an international
commission of inquiry to probe the violence of September 28,
2009;
Whereas the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) has appointed President Blaise Compaore of Burkina
Faso to mediate between the CNDD, opposition parties, and
civil society in an effort to break the current political
impasse;
Whereas the African Union, ECOWAS, the European Union, and
the United States have imposed targeted sanctions, variously
including travel restrictions, financial asset freezes, and
an arms embargo, on CNDD members in response to the violent
crackdown and perceived CNDD resistance to a democratic
transition;
Whereas while others were imposing sanctions against the
CNDD, it was announced in October that the China
International Fund, a Hong Kong-registered company with ties
to Chinese state-owned enterprises and government agencies,
has signed a $7 billion deal with the CNDD to develop
Guinea's vast mineral resources;
Whereas the CNDD reportedly has imported millions of
dollars worth of weapons since the September 28, 2009,
crackdown and junta members reportedly are recruiting
militias, adding a troubling and potentially explosive ethnic
dimension to the crisis;
[[Page H242]]
Whereas targeted political killings reportedly have been
carried out in Conakry since September 2009, opposition
members continue to face the threat of arrest and violent
assault, and the junta has banned all public protests;
Whereas, on December 3, 2009, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara
was shot in the head in an apparent assassination attempt by
his aide-de-camp Lt. Aboubakar Diakite (Toumba) and flown to
Morocco for treatment, prompting analysts to warn of a
potential counter coup and a further deterioration of
security in Guinea;
Whereas a further deterioration of the political and
security situation in Guinea could have catastrophic
consequences not only for Guinea, but also for neighboring
Liberia and Sierra Leone, both of which only recently emerged
from deadly, protracted conflicts;
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has referred to
the September 28, 2009, crackdown as ``criminality of the
greatest degree'', and stated that Guinea's military leaders
must recognize ``that they cannot remain in power, that they
must turn back to the people the right to choose their own
leaders'';
Whereas, on January 6, 2010, interim junta leader General
Sekouba Konate invited the opposition in Guinea to select a
prime minister in advance of the formation of a transitional
government and offered security guarantees to opposition
leaders who had fled the country; and
Whereas, on January 15, 2010, the ``Declaration Conjointe
de Ouagadougou'' to end the political crisis in Guinea,
mediated by Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore, was
signed by opposition parties and junta leaders, and
supported by the International Contact Group on Guinea,
provides for the establishment of a government of national
unity, led by a consensus Prime Minister, and the holding of
presidential elections within six months in order to
reestablish the rule of law and bring peace and stability to
the people of Guinea: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the violent suppression of legitimate
political dissent and gross human rights abuses, including
mass murder and extreme sexual violence, perpetrated by
forces under the command of the National Council for
Democracy and Development (CNDD) in Guinea and demands that
the perpetrators of these crimes be brought to justice;
(2) expresses grave concern about the further deterioration
of security and rule of law in Guinea, particularly with
regard to ongoing reports of--
(A) harassment of opposition figures, members of civil
society, and journalists;
(B) rising ethnic tensions;
(C) growing cleavages within the CNDD and the military
which raise the potential of a violent counter coup;
(D) recruitment of militias and other irregular forces from
within Guinea and neighboring countries;
(E) importation of weapons despite an arms embargo on the
region; and
(F) uncertainty about the prospects for restoring civilian
rule through free, fair, and transparent elections;
(3) calls on China to cease its material support for the
CNDD by publicly announcing the cancellation of the China
International Fund's $7 billion minerals and infrastructure
deal in Guinea;
(4) urges all Member States of the United Nations to join
the United States, the European Union (EU), the African Union
(AU), and the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) to impose sanctions against the regime until
constitutional order and rule of law has been restored in
Guinea;
(5) supports the efforts of the ECOWAS and the AU to find a
resolution to the current political crisis in Guinea;
(6) urges the leaders of the CNDD, the Force Vives
Coalition, and all parties in Guinea to uphold and abide by
the provisions included in the ``Declaration Conjointe de
Ouagadougou'' and to facilitate the conduct of free, fair,
and transparent elections that meet international standards
and reflect the will of the Guinean people; and
(7) expresses solidarity with the people of Guinea during
this time of extreme uncertainty and expresses deep regret
for the victims of the September 28, 2009, crackdown.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lee) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time
to the Chair of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee, the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), and I ask unanimous consent that
he be allowed to control that time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
General Leave
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous materials on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to begin by thanking the ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
for introducing this important and timely resolution. In December 2008,
after the death of President Lansana Conte, a military junta seized
power in the West African country of Guinea and suspended the national
legislature and the constitution. The coup interrupted plans for
upcoming democratic elections and threatened the fragile stability of
the entire West African Mano River region, where decade-long wars in
Liberia and Sierra Leone have displaced thousands of families,
destroying the capacity of their governments to function. Fortunately,
the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, and
the United Nations acted immediately to rebuke the coup, demand an
immediate end to the violence, and a restoration of the rule of law.
After the horrific killing of 57 peaceful protesters in October,
2009, the U.S. Government, along with the Africa Union, imposed travel
and financial sanctions against the junta. The swift and concerted
action by the entire international community, including the United
Nations, the European Union, and individual states, clearly caught the
attention of the coup leader, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara and his
junta. Unlike many previous African coups that were allowed to seize
governmental control and consolidate military dictatorships, the Guinea
coup was isolated by African States. And this is a move that--the
Africa Union has decided that, in order to end military coups, they
must treat rogue states with isolation.
This past weekend, Guinea's junta leaders agreed to relinquish power
to civilian rule, establish an interim government, and support the
restoration of the constitution. The military leaders also agreed to
appoint as prime minister the opposition leader, Jean-Marie Dore, and
to prepare for new presidential elections in 6 months.
Madam Speaker, we should commend the people of Guinea for standing
fast in the face of military violence and demanding a return to the
rule of law, and congratulate the international community for uniting
so quickly in order to restore order in Guinea.
I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. First, I want to thank the ranking member, the gentlelady from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for introducing this resolution, and I rise
in strong support of H. Res. 1013, which condemns the violent
suppression of legitimate political dissent and gross human rights
abuses in the Republic of Guinea.
Analysts have been warning that Guinea, an impoverished yet resource-
rich country in West Africa, has been teetering on the brink of chaos
for years. Throughout the 1990s, Guinea was flanked by brutal civil
wars in neighboring countries. This aggravated existing ethnic tensions
within Guinea and left the entire subregion awash with small arms and
mercenaries for hire.
Demonstrations throughout the years 2006 and 2007 were brutally put
down by military security forces, leaving hundreds dead and thousands
injured. The ailing longtime president was so corrupt and unpopular
that the citizens of Guinea reportedly readily embraced the military
junta to replace him when he finally died in December of 2008.
Unfortunately, the junta would not usher in peace. Despite initial
positive signals, repeated delays in the elections and the timetable
provoked increasing public discontent.
On September 28, 2009, tens of thousands of unarmed civilians
gathered at the national soccer stadium to protest against the junta.
Security forces responded by surrounding the stadium, blocking the
exits, and opening fire with live ammunition on the crowds. In the
chaos that ensued, over 150 people were killed; more than 1,000 people
were injured; at least 60 women were brutally raped, sexually
assaulted, or
[[Page H243]]
killed by security officials in plain sight of commanding officers; and
prominent opposition leaders were beaten and arrested while
demonstrators and opposing party members were detained without any
formal charge.
Almost immediately, the United States, the European Union, and the
Economic Community of West African States imposed targeted sanctions
against the junta and called for the return of a civilian government.
The junta then reportedly starting importing millions of dollars of
weapons and recruiting ethnic militias. This prompted analysts to warn
that Guinea had become a tinderbox that could blow at any time,
potentially taking neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone with it.
On December 3, 2009, junta leader Dadis was shot in the head by an
aide and was flown to Morocco, where he remained for nearly 6 weeks. In
his absence, the acting junta leader announced that a transitional
government would be formed and that the opposition had been invited to
select a prime minister. Despite a political agreement between the
junta and the opposition being signed this past weekend, the situation
in Guinea remains extremely fragile. Details about the formation of a
transitional government and eventual return to civilian rule remain
unclear. The mere suggestion that Dadis would return to Guinea last
week prompted the acting junta leader to threaten his resignation. The
junta leadership and the military remain deeply divided. Ethnic
militias remain well-armed.
The deterioration of security in Guinea threatens to undermine our
massive investment in peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Ivory
Coast. More importantly, a collapse of Guinea would create yet another
pocket of opportunity for extremists and narcotraffickers who already
exploit West Africa's weak institutions and vast ungoverned areas. To
begin to address these issues, the ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
from Florida, has introduced H. Res. 1013. And this is what it does: It
expresses grave concern over the deterioration of security and the rule
of law in Guinea. It calls on China to cancel its $7 billion in
minerals and infrastructure deal with Guinea. It urges member states of
the United Nations to join the United States, the African Union, the
Economic Community of West African States, and the European Union, in
imposing sanctions against the ruling junta in Guinea until
constitutional order is restored. It supports regional efforts to
resolve the conflict. It calls on members of the ruling junta to uphold
their pledges to organize free and fair and transparent elections to
restore civilian rule in Guinea. And it expresses solidarity with the
people of Guinea during this time of extreme uncertainty in their
lives.
I want to thank the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
Mr. Berman, for supporting this measure and enabling it to come to the
floor today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan,
uncontroversial, and timely resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Garamendi). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1013, as
amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________