IV
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 93
Concerning democracy and human rights situation in Cameroon.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 4, 1995
Mr. ENGEL submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Concerning democracy and human rights situation in
Cameroon.
Whereas Cameroon held its first multiparty legislative elec-
tion in March 1992 and its first multiparty presidential
election in October 1992;
Whereas the legislative elections were conducted relatively
well, the October 1992 election was described by a multi-
national observer mission as highly unfair and strongly
biased in favor of the current President, Paul Biya;
Whereas the Department of State’s Country Reports for
1992 and the National Democratic Institute for Inter-
national Affairs Report outlined numerous voting irreg-
ularities, including vote counting by authorities who had
partisan leanings, underage and multiple voting, and elec-
toral reports from ‘‘ghost precincts’’;
•HCON 93 IH
Whereas the United States suspended $14,000,000 in aid to
Cameroon in November 1992 due to problems arising
from the presidential election and subsequent harassment
by the government of the leading opposition party;
Whereas 34 Members of the House of Representatives wrote
a letter to President Biya on March 25, 1993, expressing
disappointment over the failed electoral process and con-
cern about human rights violations in Cameroon;
Whereas immediately after assuming the presidency, Presi-
dent Biya promised constitutional reform and meaningful
participation by opposition parties in the process;
Whereas a draft of a new constitution, initiated by a broadly
representative committee, was taken over by the Govern-
ment of Cameroon in 1993;
Whereas the Government of Cameroon has not committed it-
self to a national referendum on the constitution, instead
suggesting endorsement of minor changes by the govern-
ment-controlled national assembly;
Whereas President Biya hastily convened a Consultative Con-
stitutional Review Committee (CCRC) on December 15,
1994, but hand selected its members, closed its delibera-
tions to the public, and never announced whether or
when its recommendations for a new constitution would
be approved;
Whereas the Government of Cameroon has retained control
of electronic media by refusing to grant licenses to pri-
vate radio and television stations and has intensified po-
litical attacks against the independent press;
Whereas the Department of State’s Country Reports on
Cameroonian authorities ‘‘continued to commit serious
•HCON 93 IH
human rights abuses, including a number of extrajudicial
killings’’;
Whereas, in an almost unprecedented maneuver, on March
25, 1994, the Department of State blocked an Export-
Import Bank loan of $22,000,000 to the Government of
Cameroon, invoking the rarely implemented Chafee
Amendment to the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945,
marking only the fifth time the Secretary of State in-
voked the amendment and the first time it was invoked
in regard to human rights violations in a Sub-Saharan
country;
Whereas the United States and other countries have sus-
pended economic assistance to the Government of Cam-
eroon since November 1992, and the International Mone-
tary Fund (IMF) suspended support payments in May
1994, due to the high level of fiscal fraud and continued
deterioration of public services, such as education, health,
and infrastructure;
Whereas the IMF is set to review a new standby arrangement
for Cameroon for September 1995;
Whereas the United States has strongly supported the transi-
tion of Cameroon to a democratic society: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) urges prompt implementation by the Gov-
ernment of Cameroon of long postponed steps to
promote further democratization in Cameroon, in-
cluding—