S.Res. 375 — Introduced in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 375 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 5, 2014 Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Flake) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Concerning the crisis in the Central African Republic and supporting United States and international efforts to end the violence, protect civilians, and address root causes of the conflict. Whereas, for more than 50 years, successive governments in the Central African Republic have struggled to build a durable system of democratic institutions, to effectively secure and control the country’s territory and borders, and to ensure a basic level of socio-economic development for the country's people; Whereas, despite its natural resource wealth, the Central African Republic remains one of the poorest countries in the world and one of the lowest ranking countries in terms of a human development index according to the United Nations Development Program; Whereas, in January 2013, regional leaders brokered the Libreville Agreements between the government of then-President Francois Bozize and the loosely allied rebel militia known as Séléka, which resulted in the formation of a government of national unity; Whereas, despite the Libreville Agreements, President Bozize was ousted in March 2013 by the Séléka coalition, and the Séléka leader, Michel Djotodia, declared himself president; Whereas, in April 2013, regional leaders issued the N’djamena Declaration in an effort to pursue a return to constitutional order based on the Libreville Agreements; Whereas an influx of foreign fighters, especially from Chad and Sudan, has been a major factor in the increased number of Séléka fighters, from approximately 5,000 in March 2013, to an estimated 20,000 as of December 2013; Whereas both Séléka forces and armed militia groups known as anti-balakas, which formed initially as a means of protecting communities against Séléka, have been implicated in ethnically-motivated violence and grave and systemic human rights abuses against civilians; Whereas, over the course of the crisis, Séléka and anti-balaka groups have displayed weak control and command structures, and committed war crimes with impunity; Whereas, according to UNICEF, thousands of child soldiers are involved in armed groups in the Central African Republic, amid the near-total collapse of the country’s primary education system; Whereas interethnic, intercommunal, and interreligious tensions and violence have risen to alarming levels and led to systematic human rights abuses in the Central African Republic, including targeted killings, rapes, acts of torture, looting, and arbitrary detention; Whereas the United States Embassy in Bangui closed on December 25, 2012, and the ordered departure of country team staff has temporarily suspended the diplomatic presence and consular services of the United States in the Central African Republic; Whereas more than 700,000 civilians have been internally displaced; another 230,000 have recently sought refuge in neighboring countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Cameroon, and South Sudan; 2,600,000 people, or over half of the population of the Central African Republic, are in need of humanitarian assistance; and 60 percent of households have no available food stocks; Whereas a failure of the international community to appropriately respond to and address the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic could result in further atrocities, mass displacement, and protracted instability with significant repercussions for regional and international security; Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127 (2013) called for urgent and increased international assistance to the African Union International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA) to ensure that the force can fulfill its mandate to restore security and protect civilians, and placed an arms embargo on the Central African Republic; Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127 requested the Secretary-General to establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate reports of human rights abuses in the Central African Republic in order to ensure accountability for perpetrators of violence; Whereas the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic has been hindered by a lack of resources and constrained by insecurity; Whereas, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127, the Government of France launched a peacekeeping operation, Operation Sangaris, in the Central African Republic to assist MISCA in fulfilling its mandate; Whereas, on March 3, 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommended to the United Nations Security Council a transition to a United Nations peacekeeping mission with a primary mandate to protect civilians; and Whereas the United States Government is providing support for conflict resolution efforts, humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, and assistance to troop contributing countries to MISCA in order to restore security in the Central African Republic, primarily by providing airlift, non-lethal equipment, military logistics, and training, as well as logistical support for France: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate— (1) condemns the violence, atrocities, abuses, and human rights violations committed by all parties to the conflict in the Central African Republic; (2) commends the efforts of religious and community leaders in the Central African Republic condemning violence and engaging in conflict prevention and conflict resolution activities; (3) welcomes the mobilization of international peacekeeping, conflict mitigation, humanitarian, and diplomatic resources, and encourages continued efforts to help address humanitarian needs, bring an end to the violence, and develop sustainable democratic institutions in the Central African Republic; (4) welcomes the January 2014 decision of the Transitional National Council on the election of Catherine Samba-Panza as the Central African Republic’s new transitional president; (5) commends the African Union and its troop and police contributing countries for their work establishing and supporting MISCA; (6) recognizes the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAS) for its leadership in the political transition process; (7) commends France for its swift intervention under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2127, and for its contributions to stabilization efforts and other forms of assistance; (8) welcomes the United Nations Security Council support for MISCA and the Department of Peacekeeping Operation’s ongoing contingency planning for a possible transition to a United Nations peacekeeping operation; (9) affirms support for multilateral peacekeeping and policing capacities and recognizes the important contributions these efforts have made in protecting civilians in the Central African Republic and promoting international peace and stability; (10) calls on the President to work with international partners to develop a short-term strategy to support a full and immediate cessation of armed conflict in the Central African Republic, including attacks targeting civilians and the recruitment of child soldiers; (11) calls on the President to develop a long-term United States strategy, in support of international and domestic efforts, to establish a durable peace and greater security for the Central African Republic and to enhance regional stability, including— (A) engagement and coordination with the international community, including the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the United Nations, and other partners; (B) appropriate assistance to help provide emergency relief and reconciliation for the people of the Central African Republic; (C) technical, logistical and other forms of assistance, as appropriate, in support of effective disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of fighters; and (D) support for appropriate mechanisms to ensure accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses and violence; and (12) urges the Secretary of State to consider the expeditious reestablishment of a United States diplomatic presence in the Central African Republic.