I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4001
To impose sanctions on the governments who violate the arms embargo,
participate in the exchange of weapons for resources, for aiding and
abetting the civil war in Liberia, and to bring to justice Liberian war
criminals.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 2, 1996
Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. FOG-
LIETTA, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. OWENS,
and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committees
on the Judiciary, and Banking and Financial Services, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To impose sanctions on the governments who violate the
arms embargo, participate in the exchange of weapons
for resources, for aiding and abetting the civil war in
Liberia, and to bring to justice Liberian war criminals.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Liberian Peace and
Democracy Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND STATEMENT OF POLICY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress of the United States
makes the following findings:
(1) An estimated 150,000 people have died
from war-related causes in the Liberian civil war
begun in 1989, while an estimated 1,000,000 Libe-
rians have been forced to flee to neighboring coun-
tries and many others displaced internally.
(2) War crimes have been committed by all fac-
tions, including rape, torture, summary executions of
innocent civilians, ritual murder, and cannibalism,
with the goal of terrorizing the Liberian civilian pop-
ulation.
(3) The Abuja Accord signed by Liberia’s war-
ring factions in August 1995 led to the creation of
a Transitional Government after several years of
fighting and political instability in Liberia.
(4) The peace process has been derailed and the
transitional arrangement disrupted when factional
fighting erupted once again in the Liberian capital,
Monrovia, in early April 1996.
(5) The Economic Community Monitoring
Group (ECOMOG), a West African peacekeeping
force, originally intervened in August 1990 to sta-
bilize the situation in Liberia.
(6) ECOMOG forces have provided relative
peace and stability intermittently to the capital,
Monrovia, despite financial and logistical difficulties
in a very hostile peacekeeping environment.
(7) The United States Government has pro-
vided an estimated $5,000,000 in support of the
ECOMOG’s peacekeeping efforts over the past sev-
eral years, $15 of which arrived in early February
and 
has 
made 
commitments 
for 
additional
$30,000,000.
(8) The United States has provided over
$100,000,000 in humanitarian and development as-
sistance to Liberia since 1994.
(9) The factional fighting that again erupted in
the capital of Liberia in April 1996, has forced thou-
sands to flee the capital to neighboring countries.
(10) ECOMOG’s failure to contain the April vi-
olence has been widely criticized by the international
community, including the United States.
(11) The United States evacuated an estimated
2,300 American and foreign nationals to neighboring
countries during April’s factional fighting in the Li-
berian capital.
(12) United States troops entered Liberia on
April 11, 1996, equipped for combat for the purpose
of evacuating American citizens and to protect
American embassy personnel and property.
(13) An estimated 2,500 American troops are
currently deployed in and near Liberia.
(14) The governments of Cote d’Ivore, Burkina
Faso, and Guinea have contributed to the political
instability and violence in Liberia by providing fi-
nancial, political, and material support to the Libe-
rian factions since the war erupted in 1989.
(15) The behavior of the above mentioned gov-
ernments has directly contributed to the death, tor-
ture, and displacement of hundreds of thousands of
innocent civilians.
(16) The governments of the above mentioned
countries have ignored pleas from the international
community and the United States to cease their de-
structive activities.
(17) The war crimes committed by all factions
in Liberia are of such an egregious nature as to
warrant total and complete isolation of those respon-
sible for these crimes.
(18) The United States and the international
community should bring those responsible for war
crimes to justice and prevent these individuals and
their associates from holding positions of responsibil-
ity in government.
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It shall be the policy
of the United States to help bring about lasting peace and
stability in Liberia and to work toward establishing a just
and democratic society.
SEC. 3 REMOVING OBSTACLES TO PEACE AND STABILITY.
(a) POLICY STATEMENT.—The governments of Cote
d’Ivore, Burkina Faso, and Guinea have contributed to the
continuing violence in Liberia by providing financial, polit-
ical, and other types of assistance to Liberia’s factions
since the civil war erupted in 1989.
(b) AUTHORIZATION.—Not later than 45 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall
take the following measures against Cote d’Ivore, Burkina
Faso, and Guinea:
(1) VISA
RESTRICTIONS.—The Secretary of
State shall deny a visa to, and the Attorney General
shall exclude from the United States, any alien who
the Secretary of State determines is a senior official,
or a spouse, minor child, or agent of a senior official
of such countries.
(2) DENIAL OF LOANS.—The President shall
instruct the United States executive directors of
international financial institutions to vote against
any loans or grants for such countries.
(3) PROHIBITION.—The President shall pro-
hibit exporting or otherwise providing (by sale, lease
or loan, grant, or other means), directly or indi-
rectly, any defense articles or services, or licensing
of defense articles or services under the Arms Ex-
port Control Act to such countries.
(c) WAIVER.—The President may waive any of the
above mentioned measures if the President certifies to
Congress that Cote d’Ivore, Burkina Faso, and Guinea
have halted their assistance to Liberian factions, or upon
an explicit finding that such measures would not be in the
national interest of the United States.
(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Presi-
dent shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional
committees detailing the activities of the governments of
Cote d’Ivore, Burkina Faso, and Guinea and the status
of the Liberian civil war.
SEC. 4. ENDING THE CIVIL WAR AND BRINGING WAR CRIMI-
NALS TO JUSTICE.
(a) POLICY STATEMENT.—It is the policy of the
United States to help bring lasting peace to Liberia by—
(1) continuing financial, logistical, and technical
support for peacekeeping purposes;
(2) continuing humanitarian and development
assistance through private and indigenous groups;
(3) encouraging regional actors to become more
actively engaged in Liberia to bring lasting peace;
and
(4) identifying and providing material assist-
ance to groups in Liberia which are genuinely com-
mitted to restoring governance and effective rule of
law.
(b) AUTHORITY.—The President should use any
measures necessary to bring to justice Liberian war crimi-
nals and their associates.
(c) REQUEST FOR INVESTIGATION.—The President
should request the United Nations Security Council to in-
vestigate war crimes committed by any Liberian faction
leaders (and their associates) who may be responsible for
the eruption of violence and the continuation of the civil
war.
(d) ENFORCEMENT OF UNITED STATES LAWS.—The
President shall instruct all United States Government offi-
cials who engage in official contracts with the governments
of Cote d’Ivore, Burkina Faso, or Guinea, to raise on a
regular basis the extradition of or rendering to the United
States all persons residing in such countries who are
sought by the United States Department of Justice for
crimes committed in the United States.
(e) BLOCKING
OF ASSETS.—The President shall
block all transactions in the United States of persons sus-
pected to have committed war crimes in Cote d’Ivore,
Burkina Faso, and Guinea. The President shall seek the
cooperation of other countries in blocking the assets of
such individuals.
SEC. 5 SENSE OF THE CONGRESS LAYING THE FOUNDA-
TION FOR A DEMOCRATIC LIBERIA.
It is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) The scheduled upcoming elections in Liberia
should be postponed until demobilization disar-
mament of all faction leaders has occurred and a
commitment to work with the democratic process.
(2) The faction leaders should recommit them-
selves to the Abuja Accords.
(3) The elections should be free and fair with-
out violence and interference and intimidation.
(4) The United States should provide technical
assistance to Liberia in the areas of good govern-
ance, formation of a broad-based civilian led transi-
tional government.
(5) The international community should assist
and aid Liberia to effectuate democratic reforms and
institute elections at the appropriate time.
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