H. Res. 273

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

November 13, 1997.

Whereas President Pascal Lissouba defeated former President Denis Sassou-Nguesso in a 1992 election in the Republic of the Congo that was determined to be free and

fair;

Whereas in October 1997 troops of the Government of the

Republic of Angola assisted in the capture of Pointe

Noire, a city in the southern part of the Republic of the

Congo;

Whereas the Government of Angola sent more than 1,000

troops into the Republic of the Congo from neighboring

Cabinda, including a MiG–23 fighter and ground attack

squadrons;

Whereas the Government of Angola provided military supplies

and support to former President Denis Sassou-Nguesso

to assist his efforts to unseat the democratically elected

President Pascal Lissouba;

Whereas the Lusaka Protocol of 1994 requires that the Government of Angola inform the United Nations Observer

Mission in Angola (MONUA) of any troop movements;

Whereas the actions by Angola are a violation of Article 2 of

the United Nations Charter which forbids member states
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from ‘‘the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state’’;

Whereas the actions by Angola are a violation of Article III

of the Organization of African Unity Charter which mandates ‘‘Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each State’’;

Whereas the United Nations Security Council has imposed

travel and other sanctions on the National Union for the

Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) for making insufficient progress in its commitments under the Lusaka

Protocol, including demobilization of UNITA soldiers, the

forfeiture of weapons to the United Nations, and the extension of state administration to regions under UNITA

control;

Whereas this action by the United Nations Security Council

comes shortly after the Government of Angola participated in the overthrow of a democratically elected government in the Republic of the Congo; and

Whereas the United Nations Security Council has failed to

condemn this action by the Government of Angola: Now,

therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) condemns the military intervention by the Government of the Republic of Angola into the Republic of

the Congo;

(2) calls on the Government of Angola to immediately withdraw all military troops, supplies, and other

assistance from the Republic of the Congo;
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(3) encourages the United States Government to

condemn the military intervention by the Government of

Angola into the Republic of the Congo and its violation

of the Lusaka Protocol, the United Nations Charter, and

the Organization of African Unity Charter;

(4) urges the United States Government to withhold

any military training and assistance to Angola until it

ceases all military activities in the Republic of the

Congo;

(5) expresses concern that the United States Government has sought to strengthen military ties with the

Government of Angola in advance of the full implementation of the Lusaka Protocol and the creation of a

meaningful role for former members of the National

Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA)

in the Angolan military; and

(6) urges both the Government of Angola and

UNITA to continue their commitments to the Lusaka

Protocol and Angolan peace process despite the imposition of sanctions on UNITA by United Nations Security

Council Resolutions 1127 (1997) and 1135 (1997).

Attest:

Clerk.