IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 147 

Supporting efforts to bring an end to violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, 

and urging the Government of Nigeria to conduct transparent, peaceful, 

and credible elections. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 4, 2015 

Ms. WILSON of Florida submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting efforts to bring an end to violence perpetrated 

by Boko Haram, and urging the Government of Nigeria 

to conduct transparent, peaceful, and credible elections. 

Whereas Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa, with 

the largest economy; 

Whereas Nigeria is currently confronted with threats to internal security by terrorists, insurgents, and communal violence that have caused considerable population displacement, and at the same time must administer transparent 

and peaceful elections with a credible outcome; 

Whereas the government and those who aspire to hold office 

in Nigeria must demonstrate the political will to address 

both of these challenges in a responsible way, including 

by ensuring full enfranchisement, with particular emphaVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:07 Mar 05, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR147.IH HR147

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•HRES 147 IH 

sis on developing a means for enfranchisement for the 

hundreds of thousands displaced by violence; 

Whereas the members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati 

wal-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram, have terrorized the people of Nigeria with increasing violence 

since 2009, targeting military, government, and civilian 

sites in Nigeria, including schools, mosques, churches, 

markets, villages, and agricultural centers, and killing 

thousands and abducting hundreds of civilians in Nigeria 

and the surrounding countries; 

Whereas the United States Department of State named several individuals linked to Boko Haram, including its leader, Abubakar Shekau, as Specially Designated Global 

Terrorists in 2012, and designated Boko Haram as a 

Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in November 

2013; 

Whereas in May 2014, the United Nations Security Council 

added Boko Haram to its al Qaeda sanctions list, and on 

January 19, 2015, the United Nations Security Council 

issued a Presidential statement condemning the recent 

escalation of attacks in northeastern Nigeria and surrounding countries and expressing concern that the situation was undermining peace and security in West and 

Central Africa; 

Whereas the over 200 school girls abducted by Boko Haram 

on April 14, 2014, from the Government Girls Secondary 

School in the northeastern state of Borno, whose kidnapping sparked domestic and international outrage spawning the Twitter campaign #BringBackOurGirls, are still 

missing; 


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•HRES 147 IH 

Whereas the militant group is an increasing menace to the 

countries along Nigeria’s northeastern border, prompting 

the African Union, the Lake Chad Basin Commission, 

the European Union, and the United Nations Security 

Council to recognize that there must be a regional response; 

Whereas the United States Government has stepped forward 

to offer assistance through intelligence sharing, bilateral 

and international sanctioning of Boko Haram leaders, 

counterterrorism assistance through the Global Security 

Contingency Fund program for countries in the region to 

counter the militant group, and humanitarian services to 

populations affected by and vulnerable to Boko Haram 

violence; 

Whereas Boko Haram emerged partially as a response to 

underdevelopment in northeastern Nigeria, and inequality, elite impunity, and alleged human rights abuses by 

security forces may be fueling anti-government sentiment; 

Whereas it is clear that a military approach alone will not 

eliminate the threat of Boko Haram, and gross human 

rights abuses and atrocities by security forces causes insecurity and mistrust among the civilian population; 

Whereas it is imperative that the Government of Nigeria implement a comprehensive, civilian security focused plan 

that prioritizes protecting civilians and also addresses legitimate political and economic grievances of citizens in 

northern Nigeria; 

Whereas election-related violence has occurred in Nigeria in 

successive elections, including in 2011, when nearly 800 

people died in clashes following the Presidential election; 


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•HRES 147 IH 

Whereas President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, General Muhammadu Buhari, and other Presidential candidates pledged to reverse this trend by signing the 

‘‘Abuja Accord’’ on January 14, 2015, in which they 

committed themselves and their campaigns to refraining 

from public statements that incite violence, to running 

issue-based campaigns that do not seek to divide citizens 

along religious or ethnic lines, and to supporting the impartial conduct of the electoral commission and the security services; 

Whereas Secretary of State John Kerry visited Nigeria on 

January 25, 2015, to emphasize the importance of ensuring the upcoming elections are peaceful, nonviolent, and 

credible; 

Whereas Nigeria was scheduled to hold national elections in 

February 2015, but the elections were postponed by 6 

weeks to protect polling stations; 

Whereas tensions in the country remain high, and either electoral fraud or violence could undermine the credibility of 

the upcoming election; 

Whereas the people of Nigeria deserve a fair, competently executed, and secure electoral process, as well as an outcome that can be accepted peacefully by all citizens; and 

Whereas it is in the best interest of the United States to 

maintain close ties with Nigeria: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns Boko Haram for its violent at3 tacks, particularly the indiscriminate targeting of ci4 vilians, especially women and girls, and the use of 

5 children as fighters and suicide bombers; 


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•HRES 147 IH 

1 (2) stands with— 

2 (A) the people of Nigeria in their right to 

3 live free from fear or intimidation by state or 

4 nonstate actors, regardless of their ethnic, reli5 gious, or regional affiliation; 

6 (B) the people of Cameroon, Chad, and 

7 Niger who are increasingly at risk of becoming 

8 victims of Boko Haram’s violence; and 

9 (C) the international community in its ef10 forts to defeat Boko Haram; 

11 (3) supports the Abuja Accord, and calls on 

12 candidates, party officials, and adherents of all polit13 ical movements to comply with the code of conduct 

14 spelled out therein, by refraining from any rhetoric 

15 or action that seeks to demonize or delegitimize op16 ponents, sow division among Nigerians, or otherwise 

17 inflame tensions; 

18 (4) condemns any and all abuses of civilians by 

19 security forces of the Government of Nigeria; 

20 (5) urges the Government of Nigeria to— 

21 (A) conduct timely, credible, transparent, 

22 and peaceful elections; 

23 (B) refrain from using security services for 

24 political purposes in connection with the elec25 tions; 


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•HRES 147 IH 

1 (C) prioritize the safety and security of Ni2 gerians vulnerable to Boko Haram attacks; 

3 (D) implement a comprehensive, civilian 

4 security focused response to defeat Boko 

5 Haram that addresses political and economic 

6 grievances of citizens in the north; 

7 (E) improve the capacity and conduct of 

8 Nigeria’s security forces, including respect for 

9 human rights, and take steps to hold account10 able through a transparent process those mem11 bers of the security forces responsible for 

12 abuses; 

13 (F) recognize that security forces are in14 tended to protect the safety and security of all 

15 citizens equally; and 

16 (G) cooperate with regional and inter17 national partners to defeat Boko Haram; 

18 (6) urges all Nigerians to engage in the elec19 toral process, to insist on full enfranchisement, and 

20 to reject inflammatory or divisive rhetoric or actions; 

21 and 

22 (7) reaffirms that the people of the United 

23 States will continue to stand with the people of Ni24 geria in support of peace and democracy. 

Æ 


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