IV
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 62
Expressing concern over the escalating violence, the gross violations of human
rights, and the ongoing attempts to overthrow a democratically elected
government in Sierra Leone.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 11, 1999
Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr.
MEEKS of New York, Ms. LEE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HALL of
Ohio, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. TANCREDO, and Mr. RADANOVICH) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Inter-
national Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing concern over the escalating violence, the gross
violations of human rights, and the ongoing attempts
to overthrow a democratically elected government in Si-
erra Leone.
Whereas the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC)
military junta, which on May 27, 1997, overthrew the
democratically elected government of Sierra Leone led by
President Ahmed Kabbah, suspended the constitution,
banned political activities and public meetings, and in-
vited the rebel fighters of the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF) to join the junta;
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Whereas the AFRC and RUF then mounted ‘‘Operation No
Living Thing’’, a campaign of killing, egregious human
rights violations, and looting, that continued until Presi-
dent Kabbah was restored to power by the Economic
Community of West African States Military Observation
Group (ECOMOG) on March 10, 1998;
Whereas the AFRC and RUF have escalated their 8 year
reign of terror against the citizens of Sierra Leone, which
includes heinous acts such as forcibly amputating the
limbs of defenseless civilians of all ages, raping women
and children, and wantonly killing innocent citizens;
Whereas the Kamajor civil defense group has committed sum-
mary executions of captured rebels and persons suspected
of aiding the rebels;
Whereas the AFRC and RUF continue to abduct children,
forcibly provide them with military training, and place
them on the front-line during rebel incursions;
Whereas countries in and outside of the region, including Li-
beria, Burkina Faso, and Libya, and mercenaries from
Ukraine and other countries, are directly supporting the
AFRC/RUF terrorist campaign against the legitimate
government and citizens of Sierra Leone;
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu-
gees (UNHCR) estimates that last year more than
210,000 Sierra Leoneans fled the country to Guinea,
bringing the number to 350,000, most of whom have left
Sierra Leone to escape the AFRC/RUF campaign of ter-
ror and atrocities, as have an additional 90,000 Sierra
Leoneans who have sought safe haven in Liberia;
•HRES 62 IH
Whereas the refugee camps in Guinea and Liberia may be at
risk of being used as safe havens for rebels and staging
areas for attacks against Sierra Leone;
Whereas the humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone has reached
epic proportions with people dying from a lack of food,
medical treatment, and medicine, while humanitarian op-
erations are impeded by the countrywide war and the re-
sultant destruction of infrastructure;
Whereas the Nigerian-led intervention force, ECOMOG, has
deployed some 15,000 troops in Sierra Leone in an at-
tempt to end the cycle of violence and ensure the mainte-
nance of its democratically elected government at the re-
quest of the legitimate Government of Sierra Leone and
with the support of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS);
Whereas the escalating violence and terror in Sierra Leone
perpetrated by the rebel AFRC/RUF threatens stability
in West Africa and has the immediate potential of spill-
ing over into Guinea and Liberia; and
Whereas the ECOWAS Group of Seven recently met in Guin-
ea in an attempt to bring about a cessation of hostilities
and a negotiated settlement of the conflict: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) calls for an immediate cessation of hos-
tilities and respect for human rights by all combat-
ants in Sierra Leone;
(2) appeals to all parties to the conflict to en-
gage in dialogue without any preconditions to bring
•HRES 62 IH
about a long-term solution to this civil strife in Si-
erra Leone;
(3) supports the people of Sierra Leone in their
quest for a democratic and stable country and a rec-
onciled society;
(4) urges the President, the Secretary of State,
and the Assistant Secretary of State for African Af-
fairs to support the democratically elected govern-
ment of Sierra Leone and give high priority to help-
ing resolve the devastating conflict in that country,
which would be an important contribution to stabil-
ity in the West Africa region;
(5) abhors the gross violations of human rights
ongoing in Sierra Leone, including the dismember-
ment of citizens (including children) by the Armed
Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the Revo-
lutionary United Front (RUF) and demands that
they immediately stop such heinous acts;
(6) condemns the West African countries and
those outside the region that are aiding the AFRC/
RUF and demands they immediately withdraw their
combatants and cease providing military, financial,
political, and other types of assistance to the rebels
in Sierra Leone;
•HRES 62 IH
(7) applauds the Economic Community of West
African 
States 
Military 
Observation 
Group
(ECOMOG) for its support of the legitimate Govern-
ment of Sierra Leone and urges it to diversify its
forces with troops from additional Economic Com-
munity of West African States (ECOWAS) countries
and remain engaged in Sierra Leone until a com-
prehensive settlement of the conflict is achieved;
(8) calls upon the United States to provide in-
creased, appropriate logistical and political support
for ECOMOG; and
(9) calls upon the United States to provide in-
creased, appropriate logistical and political support
for Ghana and Mali, countries that participate in
ECOMOG.
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