[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2125-S2126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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    SENATE RESOLUTION 460--CONDEMNING BOKO HARAM AND CALLING ON THE 
  GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND NIGERIA TO SWIFTLY 
        IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO DEFEAT THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

  Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Collins, and 
Ms. Warren) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 460

       Whereas Boko Haram is a Nigeria-based militant group with 
     links to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the so-called 
     Islamic State;
       Whereas Boko Haram is responsible for tens of thousands of 
     deaths, including the targeted killings of civilians, in 
     northeast and central Nigeria over the last several years, 
     and, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for 
     Refugees, has caused the displacement of 2,400,000 people in 
     Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger;


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S2125, April 12, 2018, in the third column, the 
following appears: the displacement of 2,400,00 people in Nigeria 
. . .
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: the displacement 
of 2,400,000 people in Nigeria . . .


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

       Whereas the Department of State designated Boko Haram a 
     Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013 and supports efforts 
     to defeat Boko Haram with security and development tools;
       Whereas Boko Haram rejects modern education and science, is 
     engaged in an armed

[[Page S2126]]

     revolt against the Government of Nigeria, has carried out 
     vicious campaigns of violence, including suicide bombings, 
     against schools, public institutions, law enforcement, and 
     civilians;
       Whereas, since 2012, Boko Haram has conducted brutal mass 
     kidnappings of women, girls, and boys and has abducted 
     thousands of women and girls from schools and markets, during 
     raids on villages and houses, and on public transportation;
       Whereas Boko Haram continues its campaign of mass and 
     systematic brutality against the people of Nigeria and the 
     greater Lake Chad Basin;
       Whereas, on April 14, 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked a 
     boarding school in Chibok in Borno state, where girls from 
     surrounding areas had gone to take final exams;
       Whereas the Boko Haram terrorists arrived in Chibok late at 
     night, firing their guns indiscriminately and burning down 
     houses, raided the dormitories, and kidnapped 276 girls aged 
     12 to 17;
       Whereas 57 girls escaped by jumping off the kidnappers' 
     trucks as they were driving away or running into the forest;
       Whereas the 219 kidnapped girls were held captive, abused, 
     made to be slaves, forced into marriage with their abductors, 
     repeatedly raped, starved, and, in some cases, forcibly 
     converted to Islam;
       Whereas the international community, including the United 
     Nations Secretary-General and the United Nations Security 
     Council, condemned the abduction and called for the immediate 
     release of the girls;
       Whereas Boko Haram ruthlessly killed some of the kidnapped 
     girls for trying to escape, and some girls died during 
     childbirth;
       Whereas thousands of women, girls, and boys kidnapped by 
     Boko Haram have endured similar horrific experiences;
       Whereas the parents of the kidnapped girls and concerned 
     citizens banded together and embarked upon a global awareness 
     campaign to urge the rescue of the girls, using the Twitter 
     hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, through which over 3,300,000 
     people around the world expressed their outrage at the 
     abduction and continue maintaining a vigil for the girls' 
     return;
       Whereas the United States Government sent advisors to 
     Nigeria and supplied surveillance and reconnaissance to help 
     rescue the girls;
       Whereas 21 girls were released in October 2016, 82 girls 
     were released in May 2017, and four years since their 
     abduction, over 100 girls distressingly still remain in 
     captivity and are subjected to deplorable abuses as recounted 
     by the returnees;
       Whereas many of the returned girls are being kept in a 
     government facility in Abuja away from their families;
       Whereas the scourge of Boko Haram continues to menace the 
     population of the Lake Chad Basin area, including northern 
     Nigeria;
       Whereas, on February 19, 2018, Boko Haram militants stormed 
     the town of Dapchi and abducted 110 girls from the Government 
     Girls Science and Technical School and two other children;
       Whereas 106 of the children from the Dapchi kidnapping have 
     been released and five are presumed to have perished;
       Whereas Leah Sharibu remains a hostage because she refuses 
     to convert to Islam;
       Whereas the Government of Nigeria said Boko Haram had been 
     defeated in 2015, but the terrorist organization continues to 
     mount attacks against civilians, schools, and security 
     forces;
       Whereas the United States Government has provided 
     assistance for several years for women and girls targeted by 
     Boko Haram and individuals displaced by Boko Haram violence, 
     as well as to combat Boko Haram;
       Whereas educating girls transforms societies for the better 
     by giving girls the knowledge and tools to make positive 
     decisions about their futures, live healthier lives, provide 
     nurturing environments for their families, and play active 
     roles in their communities and economies;
       Whereas the United States Government has provided 
     significant financial assistance in recent years to support 
     women and girls who are at risk from extremism and conflict;
       Whereas child and forced marriage is a human rights abuse;
       Whereas the United States Government has appropriated 
     $11,000,000 in both fiscal years 2017 and 2018 for programs 
     to combat child marriage;
       Whereas in section 2 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act 
     of 2017 (Public Law 115-68; 131 Stat. 1202), Congress found 
     that ``women in conflict-affected regions have achieved 
     significant success in . . . moderating violent extremism . . 
     . and stabilizing societies by enhancing the effectiveness of 
     security services, peacekeeping efforts, institutions, and 
     decision-making processes'';
       Whereas in section 1(c) of Public Law 114-266 (130 Stat. 
     1383), Congress found that ``lack of economic opportunity and 
     access to education, justice, and other social services 
     contributes to the ability of Boko Haram to radicalize and 
     recruit individuals''; and
       Whereas section 4 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 
     2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j) states that ``[i]t shall be the policy 
     of the United States to promote the meaningful participation 
     of women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, 
     management, and resolution, and post-conflict relief and 
     recovery efforts'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the tragic fourth anniversary of the Chibok 
     girls kidnapping and calls for the immediate release of all 
     Boko Haram captives, especially the remaining Chibok girls 
     and Leah Sharibu;
       (2) applauds the extraordinary bravery of survivors of Boko 
     Haram, who continue to come forward to share their stories 
     and experiences at great risk to themselves;
       (3) deplores Boko Haram for its destabilizing activities 
     and extremist violence;
       (4) acknowledges the efforts of the United States 
     Government to defeat Boko Haram through development and 
     security partnerships with Nigeria and other regional 
     partners, and calls on the Department of State and the 
     Department of Defense to rapidly implement the five-year 
     regional strategy to address the grievous threat posed by 
     Boko Haram and other violent extremist organizations;
       (5) furthermore requests that the Department of State and 
     the United States Agency for International Development create 
     a plan to address the needs of women and girls adversely 
     impacted by extremism and conflict as required by section 
     7059(e)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, 
     and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2017 (division J of 
     Public Law 115-31; 131 Stat. 699);
       (6) commends the swift enactment of the Women, Peace, and 
     Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68), and encourages the 
     President to release the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy 
     by October 2018, as required by section 5 of the Women, 
     Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j-1);
       (7) acknowledges the actions of the Government of Nigeria 
     to combat Boko Haram, and encourages it to--
       (A) provide the necessary counseling and support to those 
     abducted by Boko Haram;
       (B) allow returned women and girls to be reunited with 
     their families when appropriate;
       (C) appropriately channel the announced $1,000,000,000 
     assistance from the Excess Crude Account to humanitarian 
     assistance, development, education, and deradicalization 
     programs; and
       (D) accept international assistance in a timely manner when 
     offered; and
       (8) encourages continued cooperation between the 
     Governments of the United States and Nigeria to defeat the 
     violent extremist organization Boko Haram.

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