Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Burundi is at risk of mass atrocities, and that the Government of Burundi should comply with constitutional limits on presidential terms and re-engage in regionally-brokered peace talks.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Calls upon the government of Burundi to: (1) accept unarmed United Nations (U.N.) police to monitor the security and human rights situation, (2) disarm those engaged in political violence and the illegal possession of weapons, (3) investigate allegations of human rights violations and hold perpetrators accountable, (4) allow the full deployment of African Union human rights observers and military experts throughout the country, and (5) participate in the political dialogue led by the East African Community (EAC) without preconditions.
Calls on: (1) the political opposition in Burundi to renounce violence, (2) Burundian stakeholders to participate in the Inter-Burundian Dialogue to peacefully resolve contentious issues, (3) the EAC to guarantee the inclusiveness of the dialogue process, (4) the African Union to impose targeted sanctions on those perpetuating violence, and (5) the U.N. Security Council to impose targeted sanctions against all who threaten the peace and security of Burundi.
Calls on the President of the United States to impose specified additional targeted sanctions, including against any individuals responsible for or complicit in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Burundi or that undermine democratic processes.
Calls on the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to use appropriated funds to: (1) continue U.S. humanitarian assistance and food aid for Burundians, (2) support media, civil society, and human rights actors on the ground to create opportunities for inclusive citizen participation in political dialogue, (3) develop a strategy and programming to address the medium-term risk of political violence, and (4) ensure that the USAID and the State Department are adequately staffed to monitor and develop strategies to rapidly respond to contingencies on the ground.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 651 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 651

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Burundi is at 
  risk of mass atrocities, and that the Government of Burundi should 
 comply with constitutional limits on presidential terms and re-engage 
                  in regionally-brokered peace talks.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 7, 2017

   Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Hultgren, and Ms. Bass) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Burundi is at 
  risk of mass atrocities, and that the Government of Burundi should 
 comply with constitutional limits on presidential terms and re-engage 
                  in regionally-brokered peace talks.

Whereas President Nkurunziza of Burundi was elected for a third term in July 
        2015, which was regarded by many as violating the 2000 Arusha Peace 
        Agreement, which ended a civil war that claimed over 300,000 lives 
        between 1993 and 2005;
Whereas, on September 4, 2017, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on 
        Burundi announced that it had reasonable grounds to believe that crimes 
        against humanity have been committed and continue to be committed by 
        individuals associated with the government in Burundi since April 2015;
Whereas since April 2015, more than 2,000 people have been killed in politically 
        inspired violence while an unknown number of individuals have been the 
        victim of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, gender-based 
        violence, arbitrary arrests, and torture, which have left populations in 
        Burundi at risk of mass atrocities and contributed to a pervasive 
        climate of fear and insecurity;
Whereas opposition elements have been accused of perpetrating grenade attacks in 
        Bujumbura and ruling party and opposition supporters have been engaged 
        in a series of tit-for-tat assassinations;
Whereas, on April 18, 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 
        Rights expressed deep alarm over hate speech and ``grotesque rape 
        chants'' by members of the Imbonerakure, the youth militia of the ruling 
        party, stating that ``this type of organized incitement rings very loud 
        alarm bells'';
Whereas President Nkurunziza has suggested he may run for a fourth term in 2020, 
        and has appointed a 15-member commission to propose draft amendments to 
        the constitution;
Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 
        more than 420,000 Burundians are refugees in neighboring countries, and 
        the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated that 
        nearly 210,000 Burundians are internally displaced; and
Whereas the government's refusal to cooperate with the United Nations Security 
        Council, African Union monitors, and the United Nations Human Rights 
        Council's Commission of Inquiry for Burundi is a disturbing indication 
        of its unwillingness to work with the international community to resolve 
        the political crisis peacefully: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls upon Government of Burundi to--
                    (A) accept the 228 unarmed United Nations police 
                authorized by UNSC Resolution 2303 (2016) to monitor 
                the security and human rights situation;
                    (B) disarm all those engaged in political violence 
                and illegally possessing weapons including youth wings 
                of political parties such as the Imbornerakure;
                    (C) investigate allegations of human rights 
                violations, including those attributed to state 
                security forces, and hold perpetrators accountable;
                    (D) allow the full deployment of African Union 
                human rights observers and military experts and permit 
                them to operate throughout the country as mandated; and
                    (E) participate in the political dialogue led by 
                the East African Community without preconditions, and 
                ensure an atmosphere conducive to free expression and 
                civic space;
            (2) calls on the political opposition in Burundi to 
        renounce violence and armed rebellion;
            (3) calls on Burundian stakeholders to participate in the 
        Inter-Burundian Dialogue under the aegis of the East African 
        Community (EAC) without preconditions and to use this as a 
        forum to peacefully resolve contentious issues relating to the 
        situation in the country;
            (4) calls on the East African Community to guarantee the 
        inclusiveness of the dialogue process and issue an agenda for 
        discussions aiming to deal with the core issues of the Burundi 
        crisis;
            (5) calls on the African Union to impose targeted sanctions 
        on those perpetuating violence in Burundi, as decided by its 
        Peace and Security Council on October 17, 2015;
            (6) calls on the United Nations Security Council to impose 
        targeted sanctions against all persons or entities who threaten 
        the peace and security of Burundi;
            (7) calls on the President of the United States, in 
        coordination with regional and international partners, to 
        impose additional targeted sanctions under Executive Order 
        13712, including against any individuals responsible for or 
        complicit in--
                    (A) actions or policies that threaten the peace, 
                security, or stability of Burundi;
                    (B) actions or policies that undermine democratic 
                processes or institutions in Burundi;
                    (C) human rights abuses;
                    (D) the targeting of women, children, or any 
                civilians through the commission of acts of violence, 
                abduction, enforced displacement, or attacks on 
                schools, hospitals, religious sites, or locations where 
                civilians are seeking refuge, or through other conduct 
                that may constitute a serious abuse or violation of 
                human rights or a violation of international 
                humanitarian law;
                    (E) actions or policies that prohibit, limit, or 
                penalize the exercise of freedom of expression or 
                freedom of peaceful assembly;
                    (F) the use or recruitment of children by armed 
                groups or armed forces;
                    (G) the obstruction of the delivery or distribution 
                of, or access to, humanitarian assistance; or
                    (H) attacks, attempted attacks, or threats against 
                United Nations missions, international security 
                presences, or other peacekeeping operations; and
            (8) calls on the Secretary of State and the Administrator 
        of the United States Agency for International Development to 
        use funds authorized and appropriated for--
                    (A) the continuance of United States humanitarian 
                assistance and food aid for Burundians affected by the 
                ongoing political and humanitarian crisis;
                    (B) support to media, civil society, and human 
                rights actors on the ground, to create opportunities 
                for inclusive citizen participation in political 
                dialogue;
                    (C) the development of a strategy and programming 
                to address the medium-term risk of political violence, 
                with a particular focus on engaging youth and 
                supporting conflict resolution actors; and
                    (D) to ensure that the United States Agency for 
                International Development and State Department are 
                adequately staffed to monitor and develop strategies to 
                rapidly respond to contingencies on the ground.
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