III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 65 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2015 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. COONS, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. 

BOOZMAN, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. LEAHY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

FEBRUARY 24, 2015 

Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended 

preamble 

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 the Governments of the United States and Nigeria 

have had a strong bilateral relationship, and Nigeria has 

been a valued partner of the United States since its transition to civilian rule; 

Whereas the Government of Nigeria is currently confronted 

with threats to internal security by terrorists, insurgents, 


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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 emphasis 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 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; 


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Whereas Boko Haram calls for the universal implementation 

of what it considers ‘‘pure’’ Shari’ah law, has called on 

all Christians to leave northern Nigeria, and perpetrates 

targeted violent attacks against Christians, churches, 

schools, mosques, and Muslim critics; 

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; 

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 


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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 Nigeria is scheduled to hold national elections in the 

coming weeks, and the elections appear to be the most 

closely contested in Nigeria since the return to civilian 

rule; 

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; 

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 despite the Nigerian Independent National Electoral 

Commission’s (INEC) views that preparations were ‘‘sufficient to conduct free, fair and credible elections as 


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scheduled,’’ at the repeated urging of security officials, 

INEC announced on February 7, 2015, the postponement of the elections by six weeks, and elections will now 

take place on March 28 and April 11, 2015; 

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 aspire for 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 a politically stable, democratic 

and economically sound Nigeria: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

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; 

6 (2) stands with— 

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

8 live free from fear or intimidation by state or 

9 nonstate actors, regardless of their ethnic, reli10 gious, or regional affiliation; 

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

12 Niger who are increasingly at risk of becoming 

13 victims of Boko Haram’s violence; and 

14 (C) the international community in its ef15 forts to defeat Boko Haram; 


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

2 candidates, party officials, and adherents of all polit3 ical movements to comply with the code of conduct 

4 spelled out therein, by refraining from any rhetoric 

5 or action that seeks to demonize or delegitimize op6 ponents, sow division among Nigerians, or otherwise 

7 inflame tensions; 

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

9 security forces of the Government of Nigeria; 

10 (5) urges the Government of Nigeria to— 

11 (A) adhere to the new timeline for elec12 tions announced by INEC on February 7, 

13 2015; 

14 (B) refrain from using security concerns as 

15 a pretext for impeding the democratic process 

16 and using the security apparatus for political 

17 purposes in connection with the elections; 

18 (C) ensure elections are credible, trans19 parent, and peaceful; 

20 (D) prioritize the safety and security of 

21 Nigerians vulnerable to Boko Haram attacks; 

22 (E) implement a comprehensive, civilian 

23 security-focused response to defeat Boko 

24 Haram that addresses political and economic 

25 grievances of citizens in the north; 


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1 (F) improve the capacity and conduct of 

2 Nigeria’s security forces, including respect for 

3 human rights, and take steps to hold account4 able through a transparent process those mem5 bers of the security forces responsible for 

6 abuses; 

7 (G) recognize that security forces are in8 tended to protect the safety and security of all 

9 citizens equally; and 

10 (H) cooperate with regional and inter11 national partners to defeat Boko Haram; 

12 (6) urges all Nigerians to engage in the elec13 toral process, to insist on full enfranchisement, and 

14 to reject inflammatory or divisive rhetoric or actions; 

15 and 

16 (7) reaffirms that the people of the United 

17 States will continue to stand with the people of Ni18 geria in support of peace and democracy. 

Æ 


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