IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 260
Condemning the Nigerian dictatorship for its abuse of United States
Ambassador Walter Carrington.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 6, 1997
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr.
HINCHEY, Mr. NADLER, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. CLAY, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia,
Mr. PAYNE, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. WYNN, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr.
THOMPSON, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. MILLER of Cali-
fornia, Mr. SAWYER, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr.
DAVIS of Florida, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. WISE, Mr. ORTIZ,
Mr. GREEN, Mr. FROST, Mr. FAZIO of California, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr.
GORDON, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. DIXON, Mr. BISHOP, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. MINK of Ha-
waii, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr.
WATT of North Carolina, Ms. FURSE, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. FORD, Mr.
STRICKLAND, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. REYES, Mr.
BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. EVANS, Mr. POSHARD, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. AN-
DREWS, Mr. SCOTT, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts, Mr.
HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms.
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. HARMAN, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. FARR of
California, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. BALDACCI, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. HALL of
Ohio, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. HOYER, Mr. HEFNER, Mr. CONDIT, Mr. BOYD,
Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. DANNER, and Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Inter-
national Relations
RESOLUTION
Condemning the Nigerian dictatorship for its abuse of United
States Ambassador Walter Carrington.
•HRES 260 IH
Whereas the Nigerian Government has conducted a campaign
of intimidation and harassment against the United States
Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, throughout
his tenure including—
(1) accusing the United States of attempting to de-
stabilize the Government of Nigeria;
(2) attempting to strip the Ambassador of diplo-
matic immunity in an effort to create false charges
against him relating to a series of bombings; and
(3) harassing, intimidating, and embarrassing the
Ambassador;
Whereas the United States has already imposed limited sanc-
tions against Nigeria following a series of abuses includ-
ing—
(1) the imprisonment of the duly elected President
Moshood K.O. Abiola, arrested and imprisoned by cur-
rent dictator Sani Abacha;
(2) the execution by hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and
8 Ogoni environmental activists, universally condemned
by the international community as a travesty of justice;
and
(3) the State Department’s classification of Nigeria
as a major drug-trafficking country in May 1994, fol-
lowed by Nigeria’s continuing refusal to cooperate on
anti-narcotics efforts;
Whereas the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter
Carrington, has suffered harassment, physical intimida-
•HRES 260 IH
tion, and embarrassment throughout his tenure as Am-
bassador;
Whereas a farewell reception was organized for United States
Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, by some 15
Nigerian prodemocracy and human rights groups, includ-
ing the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO);
Whereas at 6:15 p.m. on September 18, 1997, Ambassador
Carrington, accompanied by 4 other Embassy officials,
was enroute to the reception;
Whereas Ambassador Carrington’s car was intercepted by ve-
hicles and armed security forces and was prevented from
proceeding to the residence where the reception was
scheduled to occur;
Whereas Ambassador Carrington, having been forcibly barred
from proceeding to the designated reception site, went to
the private residential compound that had been des-
ignated as an alternative venue for the reception;
Whereas upon the arrival of Ambassador Carrington at the
alternative venue at 7:15 p.m., the Ambassador was
greeted by approximately 100 people waiting in an open
yard surrounded by a high cement wall and a tall metal
gate;
Whereas, around 7:30 p.m., approximately 20 uniformed se-
curity forces, heavily armed with automatic weapons,
pounded on the gate, broke the lock, and entered the
compound;
Whereas members of the Nigerian security forces rushed into
the reception shouting at the guests, and cocking their
weapons in an aggressive attempt to break up the gather-
ing;
•HRES 260 IH
Whereas 1 armed police officer threatened to shoot a human
rights activist who was attempting to address the crowd;
Whereas Ambassador Carrington quickly departed the
compound with other Embassy officers and diplomats
under duress;
Whereas the United States Department of State has lodged
numerous complaints prior to this incident and several
formal protests following these events with the Nigerian
Government; and
Whereas the Nigerian Government has neither explained nor
apologized for the incidents of September 18, 1997, in-
stead, the Nigerian Minister for Presidential Affairs pub-
licly derided the United States Ambassador’s tenure as
‘‘four years of waste during which nothing was accom-
plished’’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) finds that the actions of the Nigerian secu-
rity forces on September 18, 1997, are the culmina-
tion of a campaign of political intimidation and per-
sonal harassment against United States Ambassador
Carrington by the regime of dictator Sani Abacha;
(2) condemns the Abacha dictatorship in Nige-
ria for these outrageous acts;
(3) calls for the United States Department of
State to take all necessary and appropriate measures
to ensure the physical safety of the United States
Ambassador and Embassy staff in Nigeria; and
•HRES 260 IH
(4) calls for stronger sanctions by the United
States against the Nigerian dictatorship of Sani
Abacha in response to these egregious events.
Æ