IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1424 

Supporting humanitarian assistance, the protection of civilians, and accountability for abuses in Somalia, and urging concrete progress in line with 

the Transitional Federal Charter of Somalia toward the establishment 

of a viable government of national unity. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 10, 2008 

Mr. ELLISON (for himself and Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas) submitted the 

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

RESOLUTION 

Supporting humanitarian assistance, the protection of civilians, and accountability for abuses in Somalia, and urging concrete progress in line with the Transitional Federal Charter of Somalia toward the establishment of a 

viable government of national unity. 

Whereas despite the formation of the internationally recognized Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in 2004, 

there has been little improvement in the governance or 

stability of southern and central Somalia, and stability in 

the northern region of Puntland has deteriorated; 

Whereas governance failures in Somalia have permitted and 

contributed to escalating violence, egregious human 

rights abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law, including rape and other forms of sexual and 


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•HRES 1424 IH 

gender-based violence against women and girls committed 

by the TFG, Ethiopian, and opposition armed forces; 

Whereas these atrocities occur with impunity and have led to 

an independent system of roadblocks, checkpoints, and 

extortion that hinders trade, business, and the delivery of 

desperately needed humanitarian assistance; 

Whereas the Government of Ethiopia intervened in December 

2006 against Somalia’s Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and 

continues to serve as the primary security force for the 

TFG; 

Whereas a report of the United Nations Monitoring Group on 

Somalia presented to the United Nations Security Council on July 20, 2007, alleged that Eritreans have provided arms to insurgents in Somalia as part of a longstanding dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea that includes a series of interlocking proxy wars in the Horn of 

Africa; 

Whereas the United Nations estimates that 2,000,000 people 

in Somalia, with women and children disproportionately 

represented, need humanitarian assistance or livelihood 

support for at least the next 6 months, including 745,000 

people who have fled ongoing insecurity and sporadic violence in Mogadishu over the past 16 months, adding to 

more than 275,000 long-term internally displaced Somalis, as of April 2008; 

Whereas Somali refugees and internally displaced persons are 

especially vulnerable to rape and other forms of sexual 

and gender-based violence, and receive virtually no protection against such attacks; 

Whereas the incidence and brutality of rape and other sexual 

violence in Somalia continues to increase, and the sufVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:15 Sep 11, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1424.IH HR1424

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fering of women and girls under such circumstances is 

compounded by societal discrimination and acceptance of 

violence against women and girls, including underrepresentation in politics, severe inequality in access to education, domestic violence, and the widespread use of female genital mutilation; 

Whereas survivors fear retribution for reporting attacks, and 

journalists and other human rights defenders, including 

women, have been increasingly targeted by all sides in the 

conflict, inhibiting reporting and monitoring of sexual violence and other human rights abuses; 

Whereas, despite Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein’s public commitment to humanitarian operations, local and 

international aid agencies remain hindered by extortion, 

harassment, and administrative obstructions; 

Whereas, in March 2008, United Nations Secretary General 

Ban Ki-moon presented a report on Somalia based on recent strategic assessments and fact-finding missions, 

which offered recommendations for increasing United Nations engagement while decreasing the presence of foreign 

troops, including the establishment of a maritime task 

force to deter piracy and support the 1992 international 

arms embargo; 

Whereas, while the United States Government has allocated 

nearly $50,000,000 to support the African Union Mission 

in Somalia and continues to be the leading contributor of 

humanitarian assistance in Somalia, providing approximately $140,000,000 in fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 

2008 to date, there is no comprehensive strategy to build 

a sustainable peace; 


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Whereas, over the last 5 years, the House of Representatives 

has repeatedly called upon the President to develop and 

implement a comprehensive strategy to contribute to lasting peace and security throughout the Horn of Africa by 

helping to establish a legitimate, stable central government in Somalia capable of maintaining the rule of law 

and preventing the country from becoming a safe haven 

for terrorists through resolutions, amendments, bills, 

oversight letters, and hearings; 

Whereas a February 2008 Government Accountability Office 

report found that United States and international ‘‘efforts have been limited by lack of security, access to vulnerable populations, and effective government institutions’’ as well as the fact that the United States ‘‘strategy for Somalia, outlined in the Administration’s 2007 

report to Congress on its Comprehensive Regional Strategy on Somalia, is incomplete’’; 

Whereas the recent designation by the Department of State 

of Somalia’s al-Shabaab militia as a foreign terrorist organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a specially designated global terrorist 

by Executive order highlights the growing need for a 

strategic, multifaceted, and coordinated approach to Somalia; and 

Whereas it is in the interest of the United States, the people 

of Somalia, and the citizens and governments of countries 

worldwide to work toward a legitimate peace and a sustainable resolution to the crisis in Somalia that includes 

and embodies civilian protection, access to services, the 

rule of law, and accountability: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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1 (1) remains committed to the people of Somalia 

2 and to helping build the institutions necessary for a 

3 stable nation free of civil war and violent extremism; 

4 (2) encourages the President, in partnership 

5 with the African Union, the United Nations, and the 

6 international community as a whole, to— 

7 (A) provide sufficient humanitarian assist8 ance to those most seriously affected by the 

9 armed conflict, drought, and flooding through10 out Somalia, and call on the Transitional Fed11 eral Government to actively facilitate dispersal 

12 of such assistance; 

13 (B) ensure accountability for all state, 

14 nonstate, and external parties responsible for 

15 violations of human rights and international hu16 manitarian law in Somalia, including rape and 

17 other forms of sexual and gender-based violence 

18 against women and girls, through the deploy19 ment of United Nations human rights monitors 

20 and the establishment of a United Nations 

21 Commission of Inquiry to investigate abuses; 

22 (C) call on all parties to recommit to an 

23 inclusive dialogue with international support in 

24 the interest of promoting sustainable peace and 


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1 security in Somalia and across the Horn of Af2 rica; 

3 (D) urge the Government of Ethiopia, in 

4 coordination with the United Nations Political 

5 Office in Somalia, to develop a clear timeline 

6 for the responsible withdrawal of its armed 

7 forces from Somalia, to honor its obligation 

8 under the Geneva Conventions to ensure protec9 tion of civilians under its control, and to ob10 serve the distinction between civilians and mili11 tary combatants and their assets; 

12 (E) urge the Government of Eritrea to 

13 play a productive role in helping to bring about 

14 stability to Somalia, including ceasing to pro15 vide financial and material support, such as 

16 arms and ammunition, to insurgent groups in 

17 and around Mogadishu and throughout the re18 gion; and 

19 (F) call on all countries in the region and 

20 wider international community to provide in21 creased support for African Union Mission in 

22 Somalia (AMISOM) and ensure a robust civil23 ian protection mandate for AMISOM and any 

24 future peacekeeping mission, including the 

25 adoption of a strategy to address and end wideVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:15 Sep 11, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1424.IH HR1424

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1 spread sexual and gender-based violence in in2 ternally displaced person camps and at check3 points, consistent with United Nations Security 

4 Council Resolutions 1325 and 1814 and related 

5 laws and policies on the protection of women 

6 and girls; and 

7 (3) encourages the Transitional Federal Gov8 ernment, including the newly appointed Prime Min9 ister and his cabinet, to work to achieve sustainable 

10 peace in the region by— 

11 (A) taking necessary steps to protect civil12 ians from dangers related to military oper13 ations; investigating and prosecuting human 

14 rights abuses, including rape and other forms of 

15 sexual and gender-based violence against 

16 women and girls; providing basic services to all 

17 the people of Somalia; and ensuring that hu18 manitarian organizations have full access to 

19 vulnerable populations; 

20 (B) recommitting to the Transitional Fed21 eral Charter, including its promotion of peace, 

22 democracy, the rule of law, fundamental free23 doms, and protection of the human rights of all 

24 Somalis, including women; 


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1 (C) setting a detailed timeline and dem2 onstrating observable progress for completing 

3 the political transition laid out in the Transi4 tional Federal Charter by 2009, including con5 crete and immediate steps toward scheduling 

6 elections as a means of establishing a democrat7 ically elected government that represents the 

8 people of Somalia; and 

9 (D) agreeing to participate in a political 

10 process that is both transparent and inclusive, 

11 particularly of women, and has international 

12 support that leads to the formation of a govern13 ment of national unity based on the principles 

14 of democracy, accountability, and the rule of 

15 law. 

Æ 


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