[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.

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