IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6207 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 28, 2018 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
AN ACT 
To support democracy and accountability in the Democratic 
Republic of the Congo, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Democratic Republic 
of the Congo Democracy and Accountability Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Democratic Republic of Congo has his-
torically faced election-related political instability, 
endemic corruption, armed conflict, gross human 
rights abuses, and humanitarian crises, which desta-
bilizes the region and causes massive human suf-
fering; 
(2) the United States has provided billions of 
dollars to help stabilize the Democratic Republic of 
the Congo, including through humanitarian aid, de-
velopment assistance, and support for peacekeeping 
operations, since the end of the civil and regional 
war in 2003; 
(3) the stability of the Democratic Republic of 
the Congo is a strategic priority for the United 
States on the African continent and it is in the na-
tional security interest of the United States to sup-
port accountable governance in the Democratic Re-
public of Congo; 
(4) United States policy with respect to the 
Democratic Republic of Congo should focus on help-
ing the country become more stable and democratic, 
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including through supporting legitimate state au-
thority, such that the Government of the Democratic 
Republic of Congo is better able to respond to and 
provide for the basic needs of its citizens and live in 
peaceful coexistence with its neighbors; 
(5) the Government of the Democratic Republic 
of Congo should comply with all obligations under 
its Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil 
and Political Rights ratified on November 1, 1976, 
and the December 2016 Saint Sylvestre agreement 
brokered by the Congolese Conference of Catholic 
Bishops, by— 
(A) immediately lifting restrictions on the 
freedoms of assembly, expression, and associa-
tion; 
(B) releasing all political prisoners, includ-
ing those detained for peacefully exercising 
their rights; 
(C) ensuring that state security forces pro-
tect the rights of peaceful demonstrators; 
(D) bringing to justice security force per-
sonnel accused of serious abuses against citi-
zens, including against protesters or opposition 
supporters; and 
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(E) allowing private media outlets to oper-
ate freely; 
(6) the United States should continue to sup-
port efforts to hold free, fair, and democratic elec-
tions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in-
cluding by supporting the completion of an inclusive, 
transparent voter registration process and civic edu-
cation, preventing or mitigating violence, and facili-
tating credible election observation by the African 
Union, the Southern African Development Commu-
nity, and other appropriate civil society entities. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON HUMANITARIAN ASSIST-
ANCE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 
OF THE CONGO.—It is the sense of Congress that the Sec-
retary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, 
should continue to provide humanitarian and development 
assistance to the people of the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo through credible and independent nongovernmental 
organizations, including local partners, human rights or-
ganizations, women-led organizations, and faith-based or 
non-faith-based organizations. In providing such assist-
ance, the Secretary and Administrator should prioritize— 
(1) promoting partnerships with organizations 
that have had a long-term presence in the country 
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and have achieved measurable impact, including by 
building the capacity of local partners, human rights 
organizations, women-led organizations, or faith- 
based or non-faith-based organizations to address 
local needs; 
(A) placing the country on a trajectory to-
ward ending the need for foreign assistance; 
and 
(2) evaluating the comparative merits of grants, 
cooperative agreements, contracts, and other meth-
ods for providing foreign assistance. 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON SUPPORT FOR DEMO-
CRATIC GOVERNANCE AND CONFLICT MITIGATION MECH-
ANISMS
IN
THE
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF
THE 
CONGO.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary 
of State and the Administrator of the United States Agen-
cy for International Development should— 
(1) continue to— 
(A) support long-term peace and stability 
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by 
strengthening democratic institutions and pro-
moting respect for the rule of law at the na-
tional, provincial, and local levels; 
(B) support the capacity of civil society ac-
tors to promote transparency, accountability, 
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SEC. 3. SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS AT THE UNITED NATIONS 
ON THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE 
CONGO. 
The President should instruct the Permanent Rep-
resentative of the United States to the United Nations to 
use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at 
the United Nations to— 
(1) emphasize the importance of implementing 
the December 2016 Saint Sylvestre agreement to the 
Government of the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo, including the need to lift restrictions on the 
freedoms of assembly, expression, and association, 
and the need to conduct free, fair, and democratic 
elections; 
(2) keep the humanitarian and political crisis in 
the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the regular 
agenda of the United Nations Security Council until 
the completion of a peaceful transfer of power 
through free, fair, and democratic elections; 
(3) ensure that the United Nations Organiza-
tion Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Repub-
lic of the Congo has an appropriately focused man-
date tailored to security and governance conditions 
on the ground with a particular focus on civilian 
protection, and that the mission has sufficient 
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means, including specialized personnel and effective 
leadership, to execute its mandate; and 
(4) improve Member states’ implementation of 
United Nations Security Council-imposed sanctions 
on individuals and entities violating the United Na-
tions arms embargo, threatening the peace and secu-
rity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, engag-
ing in human or resource trafficking, or perpetrating 
gross human rights violations in the Democratic Re-
public of the Congo. 
SEC. 4. CODIFICATION OF SANCTIONS RELATING TO THE 
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—United States sanctions provided 
for in Executive Order 13671 (79 Fed. Reg. 39947; relat-
ing to taking additional steps to address the national 
emergency with respect to the conflict in the Democratic 
Republic of the Congo) and Executive Order 13413 (71 
Fed. Reg. 64103; relating to blocking property of certain 
persons contributing to the conflict in the Democratic Re-
public of the Congo), as amended by Executive Order 
13671 (79 Fed. Reg. 39947; relating to taking additional 
steps to address the national emergency with respect to 
the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), as 
in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of 
this Act, shall remain in effect for the 5-year period begin-
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ning on such date of enactment unless the President deter-
mines and certifies to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees that the Government of the Democratic Republic 
of the Congo— 
(1) is making significant progress towards hold-
ing free and fair elections and respecting the free-
doms of press, expression, and assembly, as de-
scribed in the December 2016 Saint Sylvestre agree-
ment and in United Nations Security Council Reso-
lution 2348 (2017); or 
(2) has held free and fair presidential elections 
in accordance with the Constitution of the Demo-
cratic Republic of the Congo and a democratically 
elected President has been sworn in and taken of-
fice. 
(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to limit the authorities of the Presi-
dent under the International Emergency Economic Powers 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or any other provision of 
law. 
(c) LIST OF SENIOR POLITICAL FIGURES.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the President shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a list of each senior foreign political fig-
ure, as such term is defined in section 1010.605 of title 
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31, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the day 
before the date of the enactment of this Act), of the Gov-
ernment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 
(d) ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS DETERMINATION RE-
QUIRED.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report listing each 
person included in the list required by subsection (c) that 
the President determines meets the criteria to be 
sanctionable pursuant to one or more of the following: 
(1) Executive Order 13671 (79 Fed. Reg. 
39947; relating to taking additional steps to address 
the national emergency with respect to the conflict 
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). 
(2) Executive Order 13413 (71 Fed. Reg. 
64103; relating to blocking property of certain per-
sons contributing to the conflict in the Democratic 
Republic of the Congo). 
(3) Executive Order 13818 (82 Fed. Reg. 
60839; relating to blocking the property of persons 
involved in serious human rights abuse or corrup-
tion). 
(4) Paragraph (3) or (4) of section 1263(a) of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 
year 2016 (22 U.S.C. 2656 note). 
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(e) REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND COR-
RUPTION
IN
THE
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF
THE 
CONGO.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report describ-
ing each of the following: 
(1) The extent to which government officials in 
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including 
members of the military and security services, are 
responsible for or complicit in human rights abuses 
against civilians, including by deliberately impeding 
humanitarian access to civilians. 
(2) The methods used to transfer and conceal 
financial assets of senior officials of the Government 
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that are 
acquired through acts of corruption. 
(3) United States actions to combat such cor-
ruption, which could include the issuance of a 
FinCEN Advisory by the Department of the Treas-
ury or the imposition of targeted sanctions. 
(4) To what extent and in what manner such 
corruption threatens the security of the surrounding 
region or United States national security interests. 
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