[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.

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