Liberian Peace and Democracy Act

Summary: Liberian Peace and Democracy Act - Declares that the governments of Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Guinea have, through the provision of assistance to Liberian factions, contributed to the violence in Liberia since the civil war erupted there in 1989.  Imposes certain visa, economic, and defense export sanctions against such countries. Authorizes the President to waive such sanctions if such countries halt their assistance to Liberian factions, or such measures would not be in the U.S. national interest. 
Urges the President to take certain measures to bring Liberian war criminals to justice.  Directs the President to instruct all U.S. Government officials engaged in official contacts with the governments of Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Guinea to raise on a regular basis the issue of extraditing to the United States all persons in such countries sought by the Department of Justice for crimes committed in the United States. 
Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the institution of democracy in Liberia.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Liberian Peace and Democracy Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress of the United States makes the 
following findings:
            (1) An estimated 150,000 people have died from war-related 
        causes in the Liberian civil war begun in 1989, while an 
        estimated 1,000,000 Liberians have been forced to flee to 
        neighboring countries and many others displaced internally.
            (2) War crimes have been committed by all factions, 
        including rape, torture, summary executions of innocent 
        civilians, ritual murder, and cannibalism, with the goal of 
        terrorizing the Liberian civilian population.
            (3) The Abuja Accord signed by Liberia's warring factions 
        in August 1995 led to the creation of a Transitional Government 
        after several years of fighting and political instability in 
        Liberia.
            (4) The peace process has been derailed and the 
        transitional arrangement disrupted when factional fighting 
        erupted once again in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, in early 
        April 1996.
            (5) The Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), a 
        West African peacekeeping force, originally intervened in 
        August 1990 to stabilize the situation in Liberia.
            (6) ECOMOG forces have provided relative peace and 
        stability intermittently to the capital, Monrovia, despite 
        financial and logistical difficulties in a very hostile 
        peacekeeping environment.
            (7) The United States Government has provided an estimated 
        $5,000,000 in support of the ECOMOG's peacekeeping efforts over 
        the past several years, $15 of which arrived in early February 
        and has made commitments for additional $30,000,000.
            (8) The United States has provided over $100,000,000 in 
        humanitarian and development assistance to Liberia since 1994.
            (9) The factional fighting that again erupted in the 
        capital of Liberia in April 1996, has forced thousands to flee 
        the capital to neighboring countries.
            (10) ECOMOG's failure to contain the April violence has 
        been widely criticized by the international community, 
        including the United States.
            (11) The United States evacuated an estimated 2,300 
        American and foreign nationals to neighboring countries during 
        April's factional fighting in the Liberian capital.
            (12) United States troops entered Liberia on April 11, 
        1996, equipped for combat for the purpose of evacuating 
        American citizens and to protect American embassy personnel and 
        property.
            (13) An estimated 2,500 American troops are currently 
        deployed in and near Liberia.
            (14) The governments of Cote d'Ivore, Burkina Faso, and 
        Guinea have contributed to the political instability and 
        violence in Liberia by providing financial, political, and 
        material support to the Liberian factions since the war erupted 
        in 1989.
            (15) The behavior of the above mentioned governments has 
        directly contributed to the death, torture, and displacement of 
        hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.
            (16) The governments of the above mentioned countries have 
        ignored pleas from the international community and the United 
        States to cease their destructive activities.
            (17) The war crimes committed by all factions in Liberia 
        are of such an egregious nature as to warrant total and 
        complete isolation of those responsible for these crimes.
            (18) The United States and the international community 
        should bring those responsible for war crimes to justice and 
        prevent these individuals and their associates from holding 
positions of responsibility in government.
    (b) Statement of Policy.--It shall be the policy of the United 
States to help bring about lasting peace and stability in Liberia and 
to work toward establishing a just and democratic society.

SEC. 3 REMOVING OBSTACLES TO PEACE AND STABILITY.

    (a) Policy Statement.--The governments of Cote d'Ivore, Burkina 
Faso, and Guinea have contributed to the continuing violence in Liberia 
by providing financial, political, and other types of assistance to 
Liberia's factions since the civil war erupted in 1989.
    (b) Authorization.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall take the following measures 
against Cote d'Ivore, Burkina Faso, and Guinea:
            (1) Visa restrictions.--The Secretary of State shall deny a 
        visa to, and the Attorney General shall exclude from the United 
        States, any alien who the Secretary of State determines is a 
        senior official, or a spouse, minor child, or agent of a senior 
        official of such countries.
            (2) Denial of loans.--The President shall instruct the 
        United States executive directors of international financial 
        institutions to vote against any loans or grants for such 
        countries.
            (3) Prohibition.--The President shall prohibit exporting or 
        otherwise providing (by sale, lease or loan, grant, or other 
        means), directly or indirectly, any defense articles or 
        services, or licensing of defense articles or services under 
        the Arms Export Control Act to such countries.
    (c) Waiver.--The President may waive any of the above mentioned 
measures if the President certifies to Congress that Cote d'Ivore, 
Burkina Faso, and Guinea have halted their assistance to Liberian 
factions, or upon an explicit finding that such measures would not be 
in the national interest of the United States.
    (d) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit a report to 
the appropriate congressional committees detailing the activities of 
the governments of Cote d'Ivore, Burkina Faso, and Guinea and the 
status of the Liberian civil war.

SEC. 4. ENDING THE CIVIL WAR AND BRINGING WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE.

    (a) Policy Statement.--It is the policy of the United States to 
help bring lasting peace to Liberia by--
            (1) continuing financial, logistical, and technical support 
        for peacekeeping purposes;
            (2) continuing humanitarian and development assistance 
        through private and indigenous groups;
            (3) encouraging regional actors to become more actively 
        engaged in Liberia to bring lasting peace; and
            (4) identifying and providing material assistance to groups 
        in Liberia which are genuinely committed to restoring 
        governance and effective rule of law.
    (b) Authority.--The President should use any measures necessary to 
bring to justice Liberian war criminals and their associates.
    (c) Request for Investigation.--The President should request the 
United Nations Security Council to investigate war crimes committed by 
any Liberian faction leaders (and their associates) who may be 
responsible for the eruption of violence and the continuation of the 
civil war.
    (d) Enforcement of United States Laws.--The President shall 
instruct all United States Government officials who engage in official 
contracts with the governments of Cote d'Ivore, Burkina Faso, or 
Guinea, to raise on a regular basis the extradition of or rendering to 
the United States all persons residing in such countries who are sought 
by the United States Department of Justice for crimes committed in the 
United States.
    (e) Blocking of Assets.--The President shall block all transactions 
in the United States of persons suspected to have committed war crimes 
in Cote d'Ivore, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. The President shall seek the 
cooperation of other countries in blocking the assets of such 
individuals.

SEC. 5 SENSE OF THE CONGRESS LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A DEMOCRATIC 
              LIBERIA.

    It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) The scheduled upcoming elections in Liberia should be 
        postponed until demobilization disarmament of all faction 
        leaders has occurred and a commitment to work with the 
        democratic process.
            (2) The faction leaders should recommit themselves to the 
        Abuja Accords.
            (3) The elections should be free and fair without violence 
        and interference and intimidation.
            (4) The United States should provide technical assistance 
        to Liberia in the areas of good governance, formation of a 
        broad-based civilian led transitional government.
            (5) The international community should assist and aid 
        Liberia to effectuate democratic reforms and institute 
        elections at the appropriate time.