IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 85 
Supporting the democratic aspirations of the Ivoirian people and calling 
on the United States to apply intense diplomatic pressure and provide 
humanitarian support in response to the political crisis in Coˆte d’Ivoire. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 10, 2011 
Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. 
CARNAHAN, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. BASS of California, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 
Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. RICHARDSON, Mr. RUSH, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE 
JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. FATTAH, Ms. CLARKE of New 
York, Ms. MOORE, Mr. WATT, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. 
RANGEL, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. THOMPSON of 
Mississippi, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. WATERS, Mr. CARSON of Indi-
ana, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, and Mr. RICHMOND) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the democratic aspirations of the Ivoirian people 
and calling on the United States to apply intense diplo-
matic pressure and provide humanitarian support in re-
sponse to the political crisis in Coˆte d’Ivoire. 
Whereas, on March 4, 2007, Laurent Gbagbo and key polit-
ical leaders of Coˆte d’Ivoire signed the Ouagadougou Po-
litical Agreement (OPA), a roadmap for the country’s 
emergence from years of political crisis, which included 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:12 Feb 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR85.IH
HR85
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 85 IH 
provisions for free and fair elections as part of the con-
solidation of democratic processes; 
Whereas, on November 28, 2010, Alassane Ouattara was 
elected President of Coˆte d’Ivoire by a margin of 54 to 
46 percent through an independent, fair, and transparent 
electoral process, as prescribed under the OPA; 
Whereas Coˆte d’Ivoire’s Independent Electoral Commission 
(IEC) announced the election results and, in accordance 
with the OPA, the United Nations Secretary-General’s 
Special Representative independently reviewed the results 
and certified that Alassane Ouattara won the poll; 
Whereas international observers, including the Carter Center, 
the European Union, and the African Union, concluded 
that minor incidents of electoral problems in all parts of 
the country did not materially affect the results; 
Whereas Coˆte d’Ivoire’s Constitutional Council, controlled by 
the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, overrode those results, 
and Mr. Gbagbo has refused to peacefully transfer power 
to President Ouattara; 
Whereas the Economic Community of West African States, 
the African Union, the European Union, the United 
States, and the United Nations have all recognized Mr. 
Ouattara as the winner of the election; 
Whereas, since the election, President Ouattara and parts of 
his government have been sequestered by Mr. Gbagbo’s 
forces at the Golf Hotel in the commercial capital 
Abidjan, while Mr. Gbagbo and his supporters have car-
ried out a vicious campaign of violence and intimidation 
against large numbers of peaceful Ivoirian citizens and 
nationals of other African countries; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:15 Feb 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR85.IH
HR85
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 85 IH 
Whereas, to date, the United Nations has verified nearly 300 
deaths resulting from post-election violence, including 
extrajudicial and summary executions of Ivoirians of 
mostly civilian supporters of President Ouattara, and 
there are credible reports of death squads, ethnic tar-
geting, mass rapes, and other human rights violations; 
Whereas Mr. Gbagbo has demanded the departure of United 
Nations peacekeeping forces, and his security forces and 
youth militia routinely perpetrate acts of violence and in-
timidation against United Nations patrols, have pre-
vented a United Nations investigation of alleged mass 
grave sites, and prevented the delivery of food and basic 
necessities to the Golf Hotel; 
Whereas Mr. Gbagbo is using the state radio and television 
services as partisan propaganda machines to incite anti- 
United Nations and western sentiments, and has rou-
tinely exercised censorship, control, and manipulation of 
the media; 
Whereas, according to the United Nations, an estimated 
33,000 Ivoirians have fled into neighboring Liberia to 
date to escape violence or persecution; 
Whereas, to date, Mr. Gbagbo has rebuffed mediation efforts 
by the African Union and the Economic Community of 
West African States, and both regional bodies have sus-
pended Coˆte d’Ivoire’s membership, pending President 
Ouattara’s effective assumption of power; 
Whereas the United States, European Union, Switzerland, 
and other governments have imposed travel and financial 
sanctions on Mr. Gbagbo and many key members of his 
regime, and the West African Monetary Union has taken 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:12 Feb 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR85.IH
HR85
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 85 IH 
steps to ensure President Ouattara gains full control of 
state resources; 
Whereas the World Bank and IMF have suspended their ac-
tivities in Coˆte d’Ivoire, including a $575,000,000 post- 
conflict economic reconstruction program; 
Whereas the political instability in Coˆte d’Ivoire has serious 
political, economic, and security implications for its citi-
zens, and for the entire region; 
Whereas with 17 upcoming elections in Africa in 2011, Mr. 
Gbagbo is sending a concerning message to those who 
may seek to undermine the democratic will of Africa’s 
citizens, participatory governance, and the peaceful trans-
fer of state power on the continent; and 
Whereas the United States has a strong interest in promoting 
democracy and peace in Coˆte d’Ivoire and across all of 
Africa: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the democratic aspirations of the 
Ivoirian people; 
(2) strongly condemns any attempt to cir-
cumvent the will of the people of Coˆte d’Ivoire, the 
majority of whom voted on November 29, 2010, to 
elect Alassane Ouattara as their president; 
(3) calls on Laurent Gbagbo to respect the will 
of the Ivoirian people by peacefully handing over 
power to President Alassane Ouattara; 
(4) calls for an immediate end to acts of vio-
lence, human rights abuses, the intimidation of 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:12 Feb 12, 2011
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR85.IH
HR85
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS