IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 896 
Condemning Boko Haram and calling on the Governments of the United 
States of America and Nigeria to swiftly implement measures to defeat 
the terrorist organization. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2018 
Ms. WILSON of Florida (for herself, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, 
Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. JOHNSON 
of Georgia, and Mr. COHEN) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning Boko Haram and calling on the Governments 
of the United States of America and Nigeria to swiftly 
implement measures to defeat the terrorist organization. 
Whereas Boko Haram is a Nigeria-based militant group with 
links to al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the so- 
called Islamic State; 
Whereas Boko Haram is responsible for tens of thousands of 
deaths, including the targeted killings of civilians, in 
northeast and central Nigeria over the last several years, 
and, according to the United Nations High Commissioner 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 May 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR896.IH
HR896
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 896 IH 
for Refugees, has caused the displacement of 2,400,000 
people in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger; 
Whereas the Department of State designated Boko Haram a 
Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013 and supports ef-
forts to defeat Boko Haram with security and develop-
ment tools; 
Whereas Boko Haram rejects modern education and science, 
is engaged in an armed revolt against the Government of 
Nigeria, has carried out vicious campaigns of violence, in-
cluding suicide bombings, against schools, public institu-
tions, law enforcement, and civilians; 
Whereas, since 2012, Boko Haram has conducted brutal 
mass kidnappings of women, girls, and boys and has ab-
ducted thousands of women and girls from schools and 
markets, during raids on villages and houses, and on 
public transportation; 
Whereas Boko Haram continues its campaign of mass and 
systematic brutality against the people of Nigeria and the 
greater Lake Chad Basin; 
Whereas, on April 14, 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked 
a boarding school in Chibok in Borno state, where girls 
from surrounding areas had gone to take final exams; 
Whereas the Boko Haram terrorists arrived in Chibok late at 
night, firing their guns indiscriminately and burning 
down houses, raided the dormitories, and kidnapped 276 
girls aged 12 to 17; 
Whereas 57 girls escaped by jumping off the kidnappers’ 
trucks as they were driving away or running into the for-
est; 
Whereas the 219 kidnapped girls were held captive, abused, 
made to be slaves, forced into marriage with their abduc-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 May 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR896.IH
HR896
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 896 IH 
tors, repeatedly raped, starved, and, in some cases, forc-
ibly converted to Islam; 
Whereas the international community, including the United 
Nations Secretary-General and the United Nations Secu-
rity Council, condemned the abduction and called for the 
immediate release of the girls; 
Whereas Boko Haram ruthlessly killed some of the kidnapped 
girls for trying to escape, and some girls died during 
childbirth; 
Whereas thousands of women, girls, and boys kidnapped by 
Boko Haram have endured similar horrific experiences; 
Whereas the parents of the kidnapped girls and concerned 
citizens banded together and embarked upon a global 
awareness campaign to urge the rescue of the girls, using 
the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, through which 
over 3,300,000 people around the world expressed their 
outrage at the abduction and continue maintaining a vigil 
for the girls’ return; 
Whereas the United States Government sent advisors to Ni-
geria and supplied surveillance and reconnaissance to 
help rescue the girls; 
Whereas 21 girls were released in October 2016, 82 girls 
were released in May 2017, and four years since their ab-
duction, over 100 girls distressingly still remain in cap-
tivity and are subjected to deplorable abuses as recounted 
by the returnees; 
Whereas many of the returned girls are being kept in a gov-
ernment facility in Abuja away from their families; 
Whereas the scourge of Boko Haram continues to menace the 
population of the Lake Chad Basin area, including north-
ern Nigeria; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 May 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR896.IH
HR896
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 896 IH 
Whereas, on February 19, 2018, Boko Haram militants 
stormed the town of Dapchi and abducted 110 girls from 
the Government Girls Science and Technical School and 
two other children; 
Whereas 106 of the children from the Dapchi kidnapping 
have been released and five are presumed to have per-
ished; 
Whereas Leah Sharibu remains a hostage because she refuses 
to convert to Islam; 
Whereas the Government of Nigeria said Boko Haram had 
been defeated in 2015, but the terrorist organization con-
tinues to mount attacks against civilians, schools, and se-
curity forces; 
Whereas the United States Government has provided assist-
ance for several years for women and girls targeted by 
Boko Haram and individuals displaced by Boko Haram 
violence, as well as to combat Boko Haram; 
Whereas educating girls transforms societies for the better by 
giving girls the knowledge and tools to make positive de-
cisions about their futures, live healthier lives, provide 
nurturing environments for their families, and play active 
roles in their communities and economies; 
Whereas the United States Government has provided signifi-
cant financial assistance in recent years to support 
women and girls who are at risk from extremism and 
conflict; 
Whereas child and forced marriage is a human rights abuse; 
Whereas the United States Government has appropriated 
$11,000,000 in both fiscal years 2017 and 2018 for pro-
grams to combat child marriage; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 May 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR896.IH
HR896
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 896 IH 
Whereas in section 2 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act 
of 2017 (Public Law 115–68; 131 Stat. 1202), Congress 
found that ‘‘women in conflict-affected regions have 
achieved significant success in . . . moderating violent 
extremism . . . and stabilizing societies by enhancing the 
effectiveness of security services, peacekeeping efforts, in-
stitutions, and decision-making processes’’; 
Whereas in section 1(c) of Public Law 114–266 (130 Stat. 
1383), Congress found that ‘‘lack of economic oppor-
tunity and access to education, justice, and other social 
services contributes to the ability of Boko Haram to 
radicalize and recruit individuals’’; and 
Whereas section 4 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 
2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j) states that ‘‘[i]t shall be the pol-
icy of the United States to promote the meaningful par-
ticipation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict pre-
vention, management, and resolution, and post-conflict 
relief and recovery efforts’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the tragic fourth anniversary of 
the Chibok girls kidnapping and calls for the imme-
diate release of all Boko Haram captives, especially 
the remaining Chibok girls and Leah Sharibu; 
(2) applauds the extraordinary bravery of sur-
vivors of Boko Haram, who continue to come for-
ward to share their stories and experiences at great 
risk to themselves; 
(3) deplores Boko Haram for its destabilizing 
activities and extremist violence; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 May 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR896.IH
HR896
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 896 IH 
(4) acknowledges the efforts of the United 
States Government to defeat Boko Haram through 
development and security partnerships with Nigeria 
and other regional partners, and calls on the De-
partment of State and the Department of Defense to 
rapidly implement the five-year regional strategy to 
address the grievous threat posed by Boko Haram 
and other violent extremist organizations; 
(5) furthermore requests that the Department 
of State and the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development create a plan to address the 
needs of women and girls adversely impacted by ex-
tremism and conflict as required by section 
7059(e)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign Op-
erations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 
2017 (division J of Public Law 115–31; 131 Stat. 
699); 
(6) commends the swift enactment of the 
Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (Public 
Law 115–68), and encourages the President to re-
lease the Women, Peace, and Security Strategy by 
October 2018, as required by section 5 of the 
Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (22 U.S.C. 
2152j–1); 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 May 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR896.IH
HR896
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 896 IH 
(7) acknowledges the actions of the Government 
of Nigeria to combat Boko Haram, and encourages 
it to— 
(A) provide the necessary counseling and 
support to those abducted by Boko Haram; 
(B) allow returned women and girls to be 
reunited with their families when appropriate; 
(C) appropriately channel the announced 
$1,000,000,000 assistance from the Excess 
Crude Account to humanitarian assistance, de-
velopment, education, and deradicalization pro-
grams; and 
(D) accept international assistance in a 
timely manner when offered; and 
(8) encourages continued cooperation between 
the Governments of the United States and Nigeria 
to defeat the violent extremist organization Boko 
Haram. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:43 May 16, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR896.IH
HR896
rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS