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 

MARCH 11, 2014 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

[Insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

MARCH 13, 2014 

Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble 

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, 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

SRES 375 ATS 

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 

terms of human development 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’’, some of 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 strucVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:39 Mar 14, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR375.ATS SR375

jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

SRES 375 ATS 

tures, and committed crimes against humanity 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; 

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 suspended 

operations on December 28, 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 290,000 have 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; 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

SRES 375 ATS 

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; 

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 

stabilization 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 has provided crisis 

and humanitarian assistance commitments totaling 

$182,500,000 in response to instability in the Central African Republic, including support for conflict resolution 

efforts, humanitarian assistance to refugees and interVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:39 Mar 14, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR375.ATS SR375

jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

SRES 375 ATS 

nally displaced persons, and assistance to troop contributing countries to MISCA such as airlift, non-lethal 

equipment, military logistics, and training, as well as 

logistical support for French forces: 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; 

5 (2) commends the efforts of religious and com6 munity leaders in the Central African Republic con7 demning violence and engaging in conflict prevention 

8 and conflict resolution activities; 

9 (3) welcomes the mobilization of international 

10 peacekeeping, conflict mitigation, humanitarian, and 

11 diplomatic resources, and encourages continued ef12 forts to help address humanitarian needs, bring an 

13 end to the violence, and develop sustainable demo14 cratic institutions in the Central African Republic; 

15 (4) welcomes the January 2014 decision of the 

16 Transitional National Council on the election of 

17 Catherine Samba-Panza as the Central African Re18 public’s new transitional president; 

19 (5) commends the African Union and its troop 

20 and police contributing countries for their work es21 tablishing and supporting MISCA; 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

SRES 375 ATS 

1 (6) recognizes the Economic Community of 

2 Central African States (CEEAS) for its leadership 

3 in the political transition process; 

4 (7) commends France for its swift intervention 

5 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 

6 2127, and for its contributions to stabilization ef7 forts and other forms of assistance; 

8 (8) welcomes the United Nations Security 

9 Council support for MISCA and the Department of 

10 Peacekeeping Operation’s ongoing contingency plan11 ning for a possible transition to a United Nations 

12 peacekeeping operation; 

13 (9) affirms support for multilateral peace14 keeping and policing capacities and recognizes the 

15 important contributions these efforts have made in 

16 protecting civilians in the Central African Republic 

17 and promoting international peace and stability; 

18 (10) calls on the President to work with inter19 national partners to develop a short-term strategy to 

20 support a full and immediate cessation of armed 

21 conflict in the Central African Republic, including 

22 attacks targeting civilians and the recruitment of 

23 child soldiers; 

24 (11) calls on the President to develop a long25 term United States strategy, in support of interVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:39 Mar 14, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR375.ATS SR375

jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

SRES 375 ATS 

1 national and domestic efforts, to establish a durable 

2 peace and greater security for the Central African 

3 Republic and to enhance regional stability, includ4 ing— 

5 (A) engagement and coordination with the 

6 international community, including the African 

7 Union, the Economic Community of Central Af8 rican States, the United Nations, and other 

9 partners; 

10 (B) appropriate assistance to help provide 

11 emergency relief and support reconciliation for 

12 the people of the Central African Republic; 

13 (C) technical, logistical and other forms of 

14 assistance, as appropriate, in support of effec15 tive disarmament, demobilization, and re16 integration of fighters; and 

17 (D) support for appropriate mechanisms to 

18 ensure accountability for perpetrators of human 

19 rights abuses and violence; and 

20 (12) urges the Secretary of State to consider 

21 the expeditious reestablishment of a United States 

22 diplomatic presence in the Central African Republic. 

Æ 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS