III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 144 

Concerning the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

and the need for international efforts supporting long-term peace, stability, and observance of human rights. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 16, 2013 

Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BOOZMAN, and Mr. ISAKSON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Concerning the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo and the need for international efforts supporting long-term peace, stability, and observance of 

human rights. 

Whereas, since the 1990s, an estimated 5,000,000 people 

have died due to repeated cycles of conflict, lack of governance, and atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the 

Congo, particularly those in North and South Kivu provinces, and, since the beginning of 2012, more than 

2,000,000 people have been displaced; 

Whereas the United Nations and humanitarian groups have 

reported staggering rates of sexual violence indicating 

tens of thousands of cases perpetrated by security forces 

of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the 


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•SRES 144 IS 

Congo and non-state armed groups, which continue to operate with nearly total impunity; 

Whereas human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo have been subject to intimidation and attack; 

Whereas the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s wealth of 

natural resources, including minerals, have been a key 

driver of instability and violence; 

Whereas the deeply flawed November 2011 presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo presented 

significant political, economic, and social challenges, and 

provincial and local elections still have not been conducted despite plans to hold such elections in 2012; 

Whereas the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains subject to recurring conflict despite one of the world’s longest-running, largest, and most expensive international 

peacekeeping operations and extensive bilateral and multilateral efforts to address longstanding humanitarian crises, forge lasting peace, and pursue security sector reform and accountability; 

Whereas members of civil society and political parties from 

both the majority and the opposition in the Democratic 

Republic of the Congo created the National Preparatory 

Committee (Comite ́ National Pre ́paratoire or CNP) to lay 

the groundwork for convening a national forum and dialogue with the goal of putting an end to the multifaceted 

crisis that afflicts the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 

Whereas, on November 15, 2012, the United Nations Group 

of Experts provided compelling evidence that the crisis in 

eastern Congo had been fueled and exacerbated by regional actors, including through provision of significant 


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•SRES 144 IS 

military and logistical assistance and of operational and 

political support to the armed group known as the M23; 

Whereas the United Nations and United States Government 

have imposed sanctions on the M23 and its leaders for 

human rights atrocities including rape, massacres, and 

the recruitment and physical and psychological torture of 

child soldiers; 

Whereas, on March 18, 2013, International Criminal Court 

(ICC) indictee and leader of a faction of the M23 rebel 

group, Bosco Ntaganda, turned himself in to the United 

States Embassy in Kigali, asking to be transferred to the 

ICC in The Hague, where he voluntarily surrendered on 

March 22, 2013; 

Whereas the Lord’s Resistance Army continues to perpetrate 

attacks against civilian populations in affected areas of 

northeastern Congo, creating widespread insecurity and 

displacement; 

Whereas the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and 

9 other countries on February 24, 2013, signed the 

Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework that provides for a comprehensive approach to the ongoing conflict; 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2098 on March 28, 2013, extending the mandate 

of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission 

(MONUSCO) and authorizing the creation of an intervention brigade tasked with neutralizing armed groups; 

and 

Whereas, on March 18, 2013, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon appointed former President of Ireland 

and High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary RobinVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:54 May 17, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR144.IS SR144

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son, to serve as Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends United Nations Secretary-Gen3 eral Ban Ki-Moon’s commitment and leadership to 

4 resolving the crisis in the Democratic Republic of 

5 the Congo and his appointment of Mary Robinson as 

6 United Nations Special Envoy to the Great Lakes; 

7 (2) supports the commitments agreed to by the 

8 signatories of the Peace, Security and Cooperation 

9 Framework (in this resolution, the ‘‘Framework’’), 

10 and encourages them to work closely with the United 

11 Nations, the African Union, the International Con12 ference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern 

13 African Development Community, as guarantors of 

14 the Framework, and the United Nations Special 

15 Envoy, MONUSCO, and relevant international bod16 ies and governments to develop, implement, and en17 force a comprehensive peace process for the region; 

18 (3) notes that the adoption of the Framework, 

19 the appointment of Mary Robinson as United Na20 tions Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, and the ex21 panded MONUSCO mandate provide an opportunity 

22 to make meaningful and sustained progress toward 

23 ending the recurrent cycles of violence in the DemoVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:54 May 17, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR144.IS SR144

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1 cratic Republic of the Congo, especially in eastern 

2 Congo; 

3 (4) urges the signatories of the Framework and 

4 the international community to engage and consult 

5 with representatives of the Government of the 

6 Democratic Republic of the Congo and civil society 

7 representatives engaged in the ongoing effort to con8 vene an inclusive national forum and dialogue; 

9 (5) urges the President to appoint a Special 

10 Envoy to the Great Lakes in the near-term in order 

11 to represent the United States in international and 

12 regional efforts to end the conflict and secure sus13 tainable peace, stability, and safety for the people of 

14 the Democratic Republic of the Congo by— 

15 (A) working with United Nations Special 

16 Envoy Mary Robinson and the broader inter17 national community to promote a transparent 

18 and inclusive process to implement the regional 

19 and national commitments under the Frame20 work, including the development of clear bench21 marks for progress and appropriate follow-on 

22 measures; 

23 (B) strengthening international efforts to 

24 mobilize and support justice for victims and ac25 countability for perpetrators of sexual and genVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:54 May 17, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR144.IS SR144

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1 der based violence and other human rights 

2 abuses in the Democratic Republic of the 

3 Congo; 

4 (C) expanding efforts to develop conflict5 free and responsible mining and supply chains 

6 for the region’s vast mineral resources, in co7 ordination with other government, private in8 dustry, and international and local organiza9 tions; 

10 (D) coordinating with international and re11 gional partners to expand unhindered access to 

12 life-saving humanitarian assistance to popu13 lations in need, particularly displaced persons 

14 and conflict-affected communities; 

15 (E) pressing for fulfillment of the commit16 ment of the Government of the Democratic Re17 public of the Congo, as well as other regional 

18 actors, to ending the threat posed by the M23, 

19 the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the Demo20 cratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda 

21 (FDLR), and other armed groups in the Great 

22 Lakes region, and to facilitate enhanced coordi23 nation of regional efforts to counter these 

24 groups; and 


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1 (F) mobilizing and facilitating United 

2 States and international support for electoral 

3 reforms in the Democratic Republic of the 

4 Congo, with the goal of encouraging free, fair, 

5 and credible provincial and local elections in the 

6 near-term, and presidential elections in 2016; 

7 (6) calls on the President to support the cre8 ation of a World Bank Fund for the Great Lakes 

9 Region, as part of a coordinated international invest10 ment and development strategy aimed at deepening 

11 regional economic integration and stability and 

12 leveraging reform; 

13 (7) calls on the President, in close coordination 

14 with international and regional partners, to work 

15 with the Government of the Democratic Republic of 

16 the Congo to develop and implement recommenda17 tions to improve accountability for serious violations 

18 of international humanitarian law and human rights 

19 abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in20 cluding by considering imposition of sanctions au21 thorized under section 1284 of the National Defense 

22 Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 

23 112–239; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note); 

24 (8) calls on governments of the Great Lakes re25 gion of Africa to immediately halt and prevent any 


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1 and all forms of support to non-state armed groups, 

2 including support provided by individuals inde3 pendent of government policy; 

4 (9) calls on all relevant nations, including des5 tination and transit countries, to increase coopera6 tion on ending the illicit trade in conflict minerals, 

7 wildlife, and wildlife parts, which continues to fuel 

8 and fund violence and to deprive citizens of economic 

9 opportunity in the Democratic Republic of the 

10 Congo and the broader region; 

11 (10) calls on the signatories of the Framework 

12 to cooperate in the arrest and prosecution of those 

13 responsible for violating international humanitarian 

14 law and for serious human rights violations, includ15 ing gender-based violence; 

16 (11) calls on the Government of the Democratic 

17 Republic of the Congo to engage in meaningful and 

18 inclusive electoral reforms, prepare and hold impar19 tially administered local and provincial elections as 

20 soon as technically possible, continue to participate 

21 in ongoing efforts to provide a platform for inclusive 

22 dialogue within the Democratic Republic of the 

23 Congo to address critical internal political issues, 

24 and strengthen processes of state institution build25 ing; 


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1 (12) calls on the Government of the Democratic 

2 Republic of the Congo, in coordination with the 

3 international community, to undertake significant 

4 security sector reform, which is a necessary compo5 nent for lasting stability, and renewed disarmament, 

6 demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) efforts that 

7 ensure that any rebel troops, especially commanders, 

8 responsible for human rights violations are held ac9 countable and not reintegrated into the Armed 

10 Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

11 (FARDC); and 

12 (13) urges the Government of the Democratic 

13 Republic of the Congo to improve efforts to protect 

14 civilians from armed groups, in cooperation with 

15 MONUSCO and the African Union’s Regional Co16 operation Initiative on the LRA. 

Æ 


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