IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 651 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Burundi is at 

risk of mass atrocities, and that the Government of Burundi should 

comply with constitutional limits on presidential terms and re-engage 

in regionally-brokered peace talks. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2017 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. HULTGREN, and Ms. BASS) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

Burundi is at risk of mass atrocities, and that the Government of Burundi should comply with constitutional 

limits on presidential terms and re-engage in regionallybrokered peace talks. 

Whereas President Nkurunziza of Burundi was elected for a 

third term in July 2015, which was regarded by many as 

violating the 2000 Arusha Peace Agreement, which ended 

a civil war that claimed over 300,000 lives between 1993 

and 2005; 

Whereas, on September 4, 2017, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Burundi announced that it had 

reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed and continue to be committed by 


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•HRES 651 IH 

individuals associated with the government in Burundi 

since April 2015; 

Whereas since April 2015, more than 2,000 people have been 

killed in politically inspired violence while an unknown 

number of individuals have been the victim of enforced 

disappearances, extrajudicial killings, gender-based violence, arbitrary arrests, and torture, which have left populations in Burundi at risk of mass atrocities and contributed to a pervasive climate of fear and insecurity; 

Whereas opposition elements have been accused of perpetrating grenade attacks in Bujumbura and ruling party 

and opposition supporters have been engaged in a series 

of tit-for-tat assassinations; 

Whereas, on April 18, 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed deep alarm over 

hate speech and ‘‘grotesque rape chants’’ by members of 

the Imbonerakure, the youth militia of the ruling party, 

stating that ‘‘this type of organized incitement rings very 

loud alarm bells’’; 

Whereas President Nkurunziza has suggested he may run for 

a fourth term in 2020, and has appointed a 15-member 

commission to propose draft amendments to the constitution; 

Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner 

for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 420,000 Burundians 

are refugees in neighboring countries, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated 

that nearly 210,000 Burundians are internally displaced; 

and 

Whereas the government’s refusal to cooperate with the 

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•HRES 651 IH 

itors, and the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 

Commission of Inquiry for Burundi is a disturbing indication of its unwillingness to work with the international 

community to resolve the political crisis peacefully: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls upon Government of Burundi to— 

3 (A) accept the 228 unarmed United Na4 tions police authorized by UNSC Resolution 

5 2303 (2016) to monitor the security and 

6 human rights situation; 

7 (B) disarm all those engaged in political vi8 olence and illegally possessing weapons includ9 ing youth wings of political parties such as the 

10 Imbornerakure; 

11 (C) investigate allegations of human rights 

12 violations, including those attributed to state 

13 security forces, and hold perpetrators account14 able; 

15 (D) allow the full deployment of African 

16 Union human rights observers and military ex17 perts and permit them to operate throughout 

18 the country as mandated; and 

19 (E) participate in the political dialogue led 

20 by the East African Community without preVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:25 Dec 08, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR651.IH HR651

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•HRES 651 IH 

1 conditions, and ensure an atmosphere conducive 

2 to free expression and civic space; 

3 (2) calls on the political opposition in Burundi 

4 to renounce violence and armed rebellion; 

5 (3) calls on Burundian stakeholders to partici6 pate in the Inter-Burundian Dialogue under the 

7 aegis of the East African Community (EAC) without 

8 preconditions and to use this as a forum to peace9 fully resolve contentious issues relating to the situa10 tion in the country; 

11 (4) calls on the East African Community to 

12 guarantee the inclusiveness of the dialogue process 

13 and issue an agenda for discussions aiming to deal 

14 with the core issues of the Burundi crisis; 

15 (5) calls on the African Union to impose tar16 geted sanctions on those perpetuating violence in 

17 Burundi, as decided by its Peace and Security Coun18 cil on October 17, 2015; 

19 (6) calls on the United Nations Security Coun20 cil to impose targeted sanctions against all persons 

21 or entities who threaten the peace and security of 

22 Burundi; 

23 (7) calls on the President of the United States, 

24 in coordination with regional and international part25 ners, to impose additional targeted sanctions under 


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•HRES 651 IH 

1 Executive Order 13712, including against any indi2 viduals responsible for or complicit in— 

3 (A) actions or policies that threaten the 

4 peace, security, or stability of Burundi; 

5 (B) actions or policies that undermine 

6 democratic processes or institutions in Burundi; 

7 (C) human rights abuses; 

8 (D) the targeting of women, children, or 

9 any civilians through the commission of acts of 

10 violence, abduction, enforced displacement, or 

11 attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or 

12 locations where civilians are seeking refuge, or 

13 through other conduct that may constitute a se14 rious abuse or violation of human rights or a 

15 violation of international humanitarian law; 

16 (E) actions or policies that prohibit, limit, 

17 or penalize the exercise of freedom of expression 

18 or freedom of peaceful assembly; 

19 (F) the use or recruitment of children by 

20 armed groups or armed forces; 

21 (G) the obstruction of the delivery or dis22 tribution of, or access to, humanitarian assist23 ance; or 

24 (H) attacks, attempted attacks, or threats 

25 against United Nations missions, international 


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•HRES 651 IH 

1 security presences, or other peacekeeping oper2 ations; and 

3 (8) calls on the Secretary of State and the Ad4 ministrator of the United States Agency for Inter5 national Development to use funds authorized and 

6 appropriated for— 

7 (A) the continuance of United States hu8 manitarian assistance and food aid for Burun9 dians affected by the ongoing political and hu10 manitarian crisis; 

11 (B) support to media, civil society, and 

12 human rights actors on the ground, to create 

13 opportunities for inclusive citizen participation 

14 in political dialogue; 

15 (C) the development of a strategy and pro16 gramming to address the medium-term risk of 

17 political violence, with a particular focus on en18 gaging youth and supporting conflict resolution 

19 actors; and 

20 (D) to ensure that the United States Agen21 cy for International Development and State De22 partment are adequately staffed to monitor and 

23 develop strategies to rapidly respond to contin24 gencies on the ground. 

Æ 


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