[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 27, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4541-H4543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COUNTERING MALIGN RUSSIAN ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA ACT
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 7311) to direct the Secretary of State to develop and submit
to Congress a strategy and implementation plan outlining United States
efforts to counter the malign influence and activities of the Russian
Federation and its proxies in Africa, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 7311
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Countering Malign Russian
Activities in Africa Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States--
(1) should regularly assess the scale and scope of the
Russian Federation's influence and activities in Africa that
undermine United States objectives and interests; and
(2) determine how--
(A) to address and counter such influence and activities
effectively, including through appropriate United States
foreign assistance programs; and
(B) to hold accountable the Russian Federation and African
governments and their officials who are complicit in aiding
such malign influence and activities.
SEC. 3. STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN; REPORT.
(a) Strategy and Implementation Plan.--Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of State shall develop and submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a strategy and
implementation plan outlining United States efforts to
counter the malign influence and activities of the Russian
Federation and its proxies in Africa, including programs and
other initiatives designed to--
(1) strengthen democratic institutions, improve government
transparency and accountability, improve standards related to
human rights, labor, anti-corruption initiatives, fiscal
transparency, monitor natural resources and extractive
industries, and other tenets of good governance; and
(2) monitor and report on Russian political influence and
disinformation operations and the activities of Russian,
Russia-connected, or Russian-funded private military
contractors in Africa.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5
years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads
of other relevant Federal departments and agencies as
appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the strategy and implementation plan
required by subsection (a) and related efforts to counter the
malign influence and activities of the Russian Federation and
its proxies in Africa.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) An assessment of the scope and nature of the Russian
Federation's malign influence and activities and related
diplomatic, economic, and security priorities and strategic
objectives of such engagement in Africa, including influence
and activities that involve Russian proxies, such as Russian
oligarchs, Russian-funded private military contractors, and
other individuals and entities directly or indirectly
employed by or financially or politically associated with
Russia and its officials, who are involved in or aid
activities to, among other things--
(i) manipulate African governments and their policies, as
well as the public opinions and voting preferences of African
populations and diaspora groups, including those in the
United States; and
(ii) invest in, engage, or otherwise control strategic
sectors in Africa, such as mining
[[Page H4542]]
and other forms of natural resource extraction and
exploitation, military basing and other security cooperation
agreements, and information and communications technology.
(B) A detailed account of United States foreign assistance
and other initiatives developed and implemented during the
preceding 3 fiscal years to address Russia's malign influence
and activities in Africa, including the objectives and
details of planned programs and initiatives set out in the
strategy required by subsection (a).
(C) An analysis of policy and programmatic limitations,
gaps, and resource requirements to effectively counter
Russia's malign influence and activities in Africa.
(D) An overview of other initiatives and assistance
programs funded by other international donors and partner
countries to counter Russia's malign influence and activities
in Africa.
(E) An identification of African governments and government
officials, Russian government officials, and other
individuals and entities that have facilitated payments and
other prohibited activities that benefit United States-
sanctioned individuals and entities tied to Russia, including
in violation of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act (subtitle F of title XII of Public Law
114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note), the Countering America's
Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-44; 22
U.S.C. 9401 et seq.), Executive Order 14024 (86 Fed. Reg.
20249; relating to blocking property with respect to
specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the
Russian Federation), and Executive Order 13848 (83 Fed. Reg.
46843; relating to imposing certain sanctions in the event of
foreign interference in a United States election), and a
detailed overview of United States efforts to hold such
governments, officials, and other individuals and entities
complicit in violating or facilitating the evasion of United
States sanctions against Russia and its proxies accountable
through sanctions or other restrictions.
(F) An identification of foreign companies and persons that
have provided transportation, logistical, administrative,
border crossing, or money transfer services to Russian
mercenaries or armed forces operating on behalf of the
Russian Government in Libya, and an analysis of whether such
entities meet the criteria for imposition of sanctions under
section 1(a) of Executive Order 13726 (81 Fed. Reg. 23559;
relating to blocking property and suspending entry into the
United States of persons contributing to the situation in
Libya).
(3) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified
annex.
SEC. 4. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional
committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McEachin). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) and the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser) each will control 20 minutes.
General Leave
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 7311, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7311, the Countering
Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, as amended, introduced by
Representative Gregory Meeks, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee.
As Putin pursues a violent, illegal, and unjustifiable war in the
sovereign nation of Ukraine, we must remember that he is also
destabilizing fragile states in Africa to feed his ruthless war
machine.
As a matter of fact, the Russian Federation has conducted malign
activities throughout Africa for several years now to raise funds and
evade sanctions that would inevitably result from Putin's brutal war.
From troll farms that spread disinformation to unaccountable private
military contractors, the Kremlin continues to destabilize parts of
Africa in order to achieve its objectives regardless of consequences.
Those consequences are deadly and draining African governments of
sorely needed resources. For example, Putin has used his network of
oligarchs to deploy the Wagner Group mercenaries to countries like Mali
and the Central African Republic, where allegations of human rights
abuses such as mass executions, forced disappearances, torture, and
other unspeakable acts are mounting every day by those groups.
That is why I call on my colleagues to support H.R. 7311, which would
require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a strategy and
plan outlining U.S. efforts to counter Russia's malign activities on
the continent of Africa that undermine U.S. interests.
It would also require the State Department to identify and hold
accountable Russian and African officials who facilitate Russia's
malign activities, including those that exploit the continent's natural
resources and manipulate democratic processes in order to evade
sanctions.
I am pleased to see the administration is taking several steps toward
this end in recent days, including through designating several Russian
companies involved in illicit activities in Africa that were, in
essence, designed to evade sanctions.
With H.R. 7311, I am confident the State Department, with the support
of our other Federal agencies, will help Congress develop a clear
picture of what Putin is, in fact, doing in Africa and how we can
effectively push back to protect our interests and those of our
partners throughout the African region.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill and urge my colleagues to do the
same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7311 to require the State
Department to develop a strategy to counter Russian malign influence in
Africa.
As the world continues to watch Russia commit unspeakable atrocities
and war crimes in Ukraine, the U.S. and our allies and partners must
fully assess the threat posed by Russian activities around the world.
This bill requires the State Department to assess the threat of
Russia's engagement in Africa and create a plan to counter the Russian
Federation's growing influence on the continent. In particular, the
bill requires a specific focus on extractive industries, security
assistance, and strategic basing agreements.
In Sudan, Russia is pursuing an agreement to establish a military
base on the Red Sea. Russian mercenaries are also active in the Central
African Republic, Mali, and Libya. While they claim to support
stabilization efforts, in reality, they are committing gross violations
of human rights and exploiting natural resources.
Just last month, Russian mercenaries were implicated in a massacre of
over 200 people in Mali. This was the worst attack in Mali in over 10
years. Further reports indicate that they attempted to blame the
atrocities on French forces after French intelligence footage showed
Russian mercenaries burying victims' bodies outside of a former French
military base.
Putin's complicity in these atrocities and war crimes around the
world, and disinformation campaigns to avoid accountability, cannot go
unanswered. I strongly condemn these attacks and the destabilizing role
of Russia across the continent and the world.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member
McCaul, as well as Chairwoman Bass and Ranking Member Smith on the
Subcommittee for Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights, for
offering this important measure.
The assessment and strategy required by the bill is an important
first step, but the U.S. must do more to counter Russian malign
activity wherever it is present, and the atrocities and war crimes
ongoing in Ukraine further underscore the urgency.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues again to support this bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend again for his leadership
and bipartisanship on this bill. I think it is a very important bill
because Russia is spreading its malign influence all over the world,
and it is having a particular impact in the African continent, so we
need to be prepared. We need to respond. This bill will help do that.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak in support of
Chairman Meeks' Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act, of
which I am an original cosponsor.
[[Page H4543]]
While so much of the world's attention is rightfully focused on
Russia's atrocities in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and his minions are also
at work elsewhere around the world.
This is especially true in Africa, where we see the extensive
presence of Russian Private Military Contractors, or PMCs, in
particular the notorious Wagner Group, and extensive Russian
entanglement in countries with mining and strategic mineral reserves.
In some cases, such as in the Central African Republic, we see mines
guarded by Wagner Group mercenaries. Wagner Group PMCs are said to have
also appeared recently in Sudan, where there had been earlier reports
of Russia seeking a naval base.
We have also seen Wagner mercenaries implicated in atrocities in
Mali, which seems to have taken a bizarre turn recently, with France
accusing Russia of staging a false flag operation seeking to implicate
the French.
Thus, the Chairman's bill is especially timely, and can serve as a
template for other bills addressing Russian involvement around the
world, including the Western Hemisphere, as came up during our markup.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 7311, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
____________________