IV

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 128

Concerning democracy for Zaire.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 11, 1993

Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. JOHNSTON of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, the Judiciary, and Ways and Means

RESOLUTION

Concerning democracy for Zaire.

Whereas the people of the United States support the development of democratic institutions in Zaire that reflect the

will of the people of Zaire;

Whereas Zaire’s Sovereign National Conference, a democratic

and representative body of 2,800 delegates from all sectors of Zairian society, has elected a transitional government headed by Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi wa

Mulumba, and a transitional parliament, the High Council of the Republic (HCR) led by Archbishop Monsengwo

Pasinya;

Whereas the HCR has adopted a transitional charter to guide

these interim institutions in their task of reconstructing
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the Zairian economy and preparing for free and fair elections in 1994;

Whereas President Mobutu Sese Seko has, in violation of the

transitional charter, used his de facto control over the security forces and Zaire’s governmental and financial institutions to undermine Zaire’s transition to democracy

Whereas President Mobutu’s antidemocratic and destabilizing

measures including using loyal troops to intimidate government officials by surrounding their offices, ordering

the Bank of Zaire to issue worthless currency further aggravating the country’s hyperinflation, inciting ethnic violence, and holding of members of parliament hostage

without food in an attempt to force them to vote in favor

of President Mobutu’s ruinous monetary policies;

Whereas hundreds of people have died in recent weeks during

clashes with President Mobutu’s loyal troops, who took

the opportunity of recent unrest to attack members of

the opposition, including the President of the Union

Sacree, Frederic Kibassa Maliba whose son was killed

when the family home was firebombed;

Whereas the continued presence of Mobutu in Zaire represents an insuperable obstacle to a peaceful transition to

democracy and the successful economic reconstruction of

the country; and

Whereas H. Con. Res. 238 unanimously passed by the 102d

Congress calling on President Mobutu to step down was

not heeded: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) calls upon President Clinton to continue the

3 cooperative process of working with Belgium,
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1 France, and other allies in applying diplomatic pres2 sure necessary for democratic change in Zaire;

3 (2) urges President Clinton to pressure Presi4 dent Mobutu to leave Zaire so that the legitimate

5 transitional government can complete the process of

6 democratization as mandated by the Sovereign Na7 tional Conference;

8 (3) urges that President Clinton impose a vari9 ety of sanctions on President Mobutu, including—

10 (A) freezing the bank accounts of Presi11 dent Mobutu, his family, and associates,

12 (B) denying visas to President Mobutu, his

13 family, and associates, and

14 (C) expelling Mobutu’s ambassador;

15 (4) recommends that the United States support

16 the suspension of Zaire from the International Mon17 etary Fund and World Bank, impose an arms em18 bargo, and ban all imports from Zaire if further

19 measures are needed to ensure Mobutu’s departure;

20 (5) if the actions under paragraphs (1) through

21 (4) are unsuccessful, recommends that President

22 Clinton encourage Belgium, France, and other allies

23 to join the United States in urging the United Na24 tions Security Council to consider other options, in-
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1 cluding intervention to stabilize the situation in

2 Zaire; and

3 (6) urges President Clinton, upon the departure

4 of President Mobutu, to consider waiving the Brook

5 Amendment and all United States sanctions against

6 Zaire to allow for emergency economic assistance to

7 the transitional government.

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