III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 375 

Concerning the crisis in the Central African Republic and supporting United 

States and international efforts to end the violence, protect civilians, 

and address root causes of the conflict. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 5, 2014 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. FLAKE) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Concerning the crisis in the Central African Republic and 

supporting United States and international efforts to 

end the violence, protect civilians, and address root 

causes of the conflict. 

Whereas, for more than 50 years, successive governments in 

the Central African Republic have struggled to build a 

durable system of democratic institutions, to effectively 

secure and control the country’s territory and borders, 

and to ensure a basic level of socio-economic development 

for the country’s people; 

Whereas, despite its natural resource wealth, the Central African Republic remains one of the poorest countries in 

the world and one of the lowest ranking countries in 


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•SRES 375 IS 

terms of a human development index according to the 

United Nations Development Program; 

Whereas, in January 2013, regional leaders brokered the 

Libreville Agreements between the government of thenPresident Francois Bozize and the loosely allied rebel militia known as Se ́le ́ka, which resulted in the formation of 

a government of national unity; 

Whereas, despite the Libreville Agreements, President Bozize 

was ousted in March 2013 by the Se ́le ́ka coalition, and 

the Se ́le ́ka leader, Michel Djotodia, declared himself 

president; 

Whereas, in April 2013, regional leaders issued the 

N’djamena Declaration in an effort to pursue a return to 

constitutional order based on the Libreville Agreements; 

Whereas an influx of foreign fighters, especially from Chad 

and Sudan, has been a major factor in the increased 

number of Se ́le ́ka fighters, from approximately 5,000 in 

March 2013, to an estimated 20,000 as of December 

2013; 

Whereas both Se ́le ́ka forces and armed militia groups known 

as ‘‘anti-balakas’’, which formed initially as a means of 

protecting communities against Se ́le ́ka, have been implicated in ethnically-motivated violence and grave and systemic human rights abuses against civilians; 

Whereas, over the course of the crisis, Se ́le ́ka and anti-balaka 

groups have displayed weak control and command structures, and committed war crimes with impunity; 

Whereas, according to UNICEF, thousands of child soldiers 

are involved in armed groups in the Central African Republic, amid the near-total collapse of the country’s primary education system; 


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Whereas interethnic, intercommunal, and interreligious tensions and violence have risen to alarming levels and led 

to systematic human rights abuses in the Central African 

Republic, including targeted killings, rapes, acts of torture, looting, and arbitrary detention; 

Whereas the United States Embassy in Bangui closed on December 25, 2012, and the ordered departure of country 

team staff has temporarily suspended the diplomatic 

presence and consular services of the United States in 

the Central African Republic; 

Whereas more than 700,000 civilians have been internally 

displaced; another 230,000 have recently sought refuge in 

neighboring countries, including the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo, Chad, Cameroon, and South Sudan; 

2,600,000 people, or over half of the population of the 

Central African Republic, are in need of humanitarian 

assistance; and 60 percent of households have no available food stocks; 

Whereas a failure of the international community to appropriately respond to and address the rapidly deteriorating 

situation in the Central African Republic could result in 

further atrocities, mass displacement, and protracted instability with significant repercussions for regional and 

international security; 

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127 

(2013) called for urgent and increased international assistance to the African Union International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA) to ensure 

that the force can fulfill its mandate to restore security 

and protect civilians, and placed an arms embargo on the 

Central African Republic; 


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Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127 

requested the Secretary-General to establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate reports of 

human rights abuses in the Central African Republic in 

order to ensure accountability for perpetrators of violence; 

Whereas the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office 

in the Central African Republic has been hindered by a 

lack of resources and constrained by insecurity; 

Whereas, consistent with United Nations Security Council 

Resolution 2127, the Government of France launched a 

peacekeeping operation, Operation Sangaris, in the Central African Republic to assist MISCA in fulfilling its 

mandate; 

Whereas, on March 3, 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended to the United Nations 

Security Council a transition to a United Nations peacekeeping mission with a primary mandate to protect civilians; and 

Whereas the United States Government is providing support 

for conflict resolution efforts, humanitarian assistance to 

refugees and internally displaced persons, and assistance 

to troop contributing countries to MISCA in order to restore security in the Central African Republic, primarily 

by providing airlift, non-lethal equipment, military logistics, and training, as well as logistical support for 

France: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the violence, atrocities, abuses, 

3 and human rights violations committed by all parties 

4 to the conflict in the Central African Republic; 


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•SRES 375 IS 

1 (2) commends the efforts of religious and com2 munity leaders in the Central African Republic con3 demning violence and engaging in conflict prevention 

4 and conflict resolution activities; 

5 (3) welcomes the mobilization of international 

6 peacekeeping, conflict mitigation, humanitarian, and 

7 diplomatic resources, and encourages continued ef8 forts to help address humanitarian needs, bring an 

9 end to the violence, and develop sustainable demo10 cratic institutions in the Central African Republic; 

11 (4) welcomes the January 2014 decision of the 

12 Transitional National Council on the election of 

13 Catherine Samba-Panza as the Central African Re14 public’s new transitional president; 

15 (5) commends the African Union and its troop 

16 and police contributing countries for their work es17 tablishing and supporting MISCA; 

18 (6) recognizes the Economic Community of 

19 Central African States (CEEAS) for its leadership 

20 in the political transition process; 

21 (7) commends France for its swift intervention 

22 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 

23 2127, and for its contributions to stabilization ef24 forts and other forms of assistance; 


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1 (8) welcomes the United Nations Security 

2 Council support for MISCA and the Department of 

3 Peacekeeping Operation’s ongoing contingency plan4 ning for a possible transition to a United Nations 

5 peacekeeping operation; 

6 (9) affirms support for multilateral peace7 keeping and policing capacities and recognizes the 

8 important contributions these efforts have made in 

9 protecting civilians in the Central African Republic 

10 and promoting international peace and stability; 

11 (10) calls on the President to work with inter12 national partners to develop a short-term strategy to 

13 support a full and immediate cessation of armed 

14 conflict in the Central African Republic, including 

15 attacks targeting civilians and the recruitment of 

16 child soldiers; 

17 (11) calls on the President to develop a long18 term United States strategy, in support of inter19 national and domestic efforts, to establish a durable 

20 peace and greater security for the Central African 

21 Republic and to enhance regional stability, includ22 ing— 

23 (A) engagement and coordination with the 

24 international community, including the African 

25 Union, the Economic Community of Central AfVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:33 Mar 06, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR375.IS SR375

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•SRES 375 IS 

1 rican States, the United Nations, and other 

2 partners; 

3 (B) appropriate assistance to help provide 

4 emergency relief and reconciliation for the peo5 ple of the Central African Republic; 

6 (C) technical, logistical and other forms of 

7 assistance, as appropriate, in support of effec8 tive disarmament, demobilization, and re9 integration of fighters; and 

10 (D) support for appropriate mechanisms to 

11 ensure accountability for perpetrators of human 

12 rights abuses and violence; and 

13 (12) urges the Secretary of State to consider 

14 the expeditious reestablishment of a United States 

15 diplomatic presence in the Central African Republic. 

Æ 


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