IV
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 323
Supporting peace and democracy in the Republic of Sierra Leone.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 11, 2000
Mr. HALL of Ohio (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. ROYCE, Mr.
HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HOUGHTON, and Ms. MCKINNEY) submitted
the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Supporting peace and democracy in the Republic of Sierra
Leone.
Whereas the United States has supported the people of the
Republic of Sierra Leone in their desire for peace and de-
mocracy through both moral and financial support and
initiatives designed to secure peace;
Whereas despite a peace agreement signed by all parties on
July 7, 1999, to end Sierra Leone’s civil war, and despite
the efforts of the United Nations peacekeeping force in
Sierra Leone, violence continues;
Whereas rebels in Sierra Leone have murdered United Na-
tions peacekeeping troops, taken hundreds of others hos-
tage, and repeatedly robbed the peacekeeping force of its
weapons and equipment;
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Whereas, in violation of the peace agreement, the majority of
Sierra Leone’s rebels have refused to disarm and con-
tinue to commit atrocities against both civilians and
United Nations peacekeeping troops;
Whereas rebels continue to threaten Sierra Leone’s people
and its capital, and recently threatened a rampage like
the rampage that killed thousands and destroyed much of
the city in 1999;
Whereas rebels have pursued a campaign of rape against Si-
erra Leone’s women and girls, leaving them traumatized
both emotionally and physically, with high rates of HIV
and other infections, and malnutrition;
Whereas, while the peace agreement granted amnesty to all
parties to the civil war in Sierra Leone for crimes com-
mitted before July 7, 1999, it does not bar prosecution
of any party for war crimes committed after that date;
Whereas the natural resources of Sierra Leone that have
been used to transform rebel forces into a well-equipped
army continue to be deployed to hinder efforts by United
Nations peacekeeping troops to enforce the peace agree-
ment;
Whereas the United Nations has an obligation to protect
troops serving in its peacekeeping forces and must not
tolerate the execution of troops serving in its peace-
keeping forces;
Whereas the United States has a responsibility to exercise
leadership at the United Nations and to contribute all it
can to the success of its initiatives;
Whereas the Congress has an obligation to expend taxpayers’
funds wisely and in the past decade has done so in pro-
viding $2,000,000,000 in humanitarian assistance to Si-
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erra Leone and 3 other countries engulfed in wars over
their natural resources;
Whereas, during the same period, rebel forces in Sierra
Leone and these other countries have earned more than
$10,000,000,000 smuggling diamonds and have used
their profits to wage wars that have killed tens of thou-
sands of civilians, driven hundreds of thousands from
their homes and countries, and increased the need for hu-
manitarian and other assistance; and
Whereas the people of Sierra Leone have continually dem-
onstrated their desire for peace and democracy: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That—
(1) the Congress joins the international commu-
nity in supporting peace and democracy in the Re-
public of Sierra Leone; and
(2) it is the sense of the Congress that—
(A)(i) the President should direct the
United States representative to the United Na-
tions to immediately work to bring before the
United Nations Security Council a resolution
imposing comprehensive sanctions against the
sale of diamonds by rebels in Sierra Leone; and
(ii) sanctions referred to in clause (i)
should be imposed on any diamond mined in Si-
erra Leone that is not certified by the Govern-
ment of Sierra Leone and such sanctions should
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be similar to those sanctions imposed against
rebels in Angola with consideration of the rec-
ommendations of the United Nations Fowler re-
port;
(B) rebels in Sierra Leone should be con-
demned by the United Nations and the inter-
national community for murdering Kenyan
troops serving as United Nations peacekeepers,
and for inflicting unspeakable suffering on
countless Sierra Leonean civilians;
(C) United States diplomats should be im-
mediately dispatched to Sierra Leone to remind
the leaders of the rebels that the peace agree-
ment provides no amnesty for any war crimes
committed since its signing;
(D) because international law does not pro-
vide amnesty for war criminals, the United
States should initiate all actions necessary to
bring any individual who has committed war
crimes during Sierra Leone’s civil war to jus-
tice; and
(E) United States authorities should not
grant a visa to any individual who committed
war crimes during Sierra Leone’s civil war, or
to members of the individual’s family, and any
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such individual found in the United States
should be turned over to the International War
Crimes Tribunal for prosecution.
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