IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 896 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2018 

Ms. WILSON of Florida (for herself, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, 

Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. JOHNSON

of Georgia, and Mr. COHEN) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 

Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

Whereas Boko Haram is a Nigeria-based militant group with 

links to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the socalled 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 


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•HRES 896 IH 

for Refugees, has caused the displacement of 2,400,000 

people in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger; 

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 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 abducVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:43 May 16, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR896.IH HR896

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•HRES 896 IH 

tors, 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; 


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•HRES 896 IH 

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; 


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•HRES 896 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the tragic fourth anniversary of 

3 the Chibok girls kidnapping and calls for the imme4 diate release of all Boko Haram captives, especially 

5 the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu; 

6 (2) applauds the extraordinary bravery of sur7 vivors of Boko Haram, who continue to come for8 ward to share their stories and experiences at great 

9 risk to themselves; 

10 (3) deplores Boko Haram for its destabilizing 

11 activities and extremist violence; 


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1 (4) acknowledges the efforts of the United 

2 States Government to defeat Boko Haram through 

3 development and security partnerships with Nigeria 

4 and other regional partners, and calls on the De5 partment of State and the Department of Defense to 

6 rapidly implement the five-year regional strategy to 

7 address the grievous threat posed by Boko Haram 

8 and other violent extremist organizations; 

9 (5) furthermore requests that the Department 

10 of State and the United States Agency for Inter11 national Development create a plan to address the 

12 needs of women and girls adversely impacted by ex13 tremism and conflict as required by section 

14 7059(e)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign Op15 erations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 

16 2017 (division J of Public Law 115–31; 131 Stat. 

17 699); 

18 (6) commends the swift enactment of the 

19 Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (Public 

20 Law 115–68), and encourages the President to re21 lease the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy by 

22 October 2018, as required by section 5 of the 

23 Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 

24 2152j–1); 


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1 (7) acknowledges the actions of the Government 

2 of Nigeria to combat Boko Haram, and encourages 

3 it to— 

4 (A) provide the necessary counseling and 

5 support to those abducted by Boko Haram; 

6 (B) allow returned women and girls to be 

7 reunited with their families when appropriate; 

8 (C) appropriately channel the announced 

9 $1,000,000,000 assistance from the Excess 

10 Crude Account to humanitarian assistance, de11 velopment, education, and deradicalization pro12 grams; and 

13 (D) accept international assistance in a 

14 timely manner when offered; and 

15 (8) encourages continued cooperation between 

16 the Governments of the United States and Nigeria 

17 to defeat the violent extremist organization Boko 

18 Haram. 

Æ 


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