,,iii #aadth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #fe ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #d1 #bjae ,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,isakson1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 and ,mr4 ,durbin7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,supporting efforts to bring an end to violence perpetrated by ,boko ,haram1 and urging the ,government of ,nigeria to conduct transparent1 peaceful1 and credible elections4 ,whereas ,nigeria is the most populous nation in ,africa1 with the largest economy2 ,whereas the ,governments of the ,united ,states and ,nigeria have had a strong bilateral relationship1 and ,nigeria has been a valued partner of the ,united ,states since its transition to civilian rule2 ,whereas the ,government of ,nigeria is currently confronted with threats to internal security by terrorists1 insurgents1 and communal violence that have caused considerable population displacement1 and at the same time must administer transparent and peaceful elections with a credible outcome2 ,whereas the government and those who aspire to hold office in ,nigeria must demonstrate the political will to address both of these challenges in a responsible way1 including by ensuring full enfranchisement1 with particular emphasis on developing a means for enfranchisement for the hundreds of thousands displaced by violence2 ,whereas the members of ,jama'atu ,ahlis ,sunna ,lidda'awati wal-,jihad1 commonly known as ,boko ,haram1 have terrorized the people of ,nigeria with increasing violence since #bjji1 targeting military1 government1 and civilian sites in ,nigeria1 including schools1 mosques1 churches1 markets1 villages1 and agricultural centers1 and killing thousands and abducting hundreds of civilians in ,nigeria and the surrounding countries2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state named several individuals linked to ,boko ,haram1 including its leader1 ,abubakar ,shekau1 as ,specially ,designated ,global ,terrorists in #bjab1 and designated ,boko ,haram as a ,foreign ,terrorist ,organization 7,,fto7 in ,november #bjac2 ,whereas1 in ,may #bjad1 the ,united ,nations ,security ,council added ,boko ,haram to its al ,qaeda sanctions list1 and on ,january #ai1 #bjae1 the ,united ,nations ,security ,council issued a presidential statement condemning the recent escalation of attacks in northeastern ,nigeria and surrounding countries and expressing concern that the situation was undermining peace and security in ,west and ,central ,africa2 ,whereas the over #bjj school girls abducted by ,boko ,haram on ,april #ad1 #bjad1 from the ,government ,girls ,secondary ,school in the northeastern state of ,borno1 whose kidnapping sparked domestic and international outrage spawning the ,twitter campaign ,bring,back,our,girls1 are still missing2 ,whereas the militant group is an increasing menace to the countries along ,nigeria's northeastern border1 prompting the ,african ,union1 the ,lake ,chad ,basin ,commission1 the ,european ,union1 and the ,united ,nations ,security ,council to recognize that there must be a regional response2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government has stepped forward to offer assistance through intelligence sharing1 bilateral and international sanctioning of ,boko ,haram leaders1 counterterrorism assistance through the ,global ,security ,contingency ,fund program for countries in the region to counter the militant group1 and humanitarian services to populations affected by and vulnerable to ,boko ,haram violence2 ,whereas ,boko ,haram emerged partially as a response to underdevelopment in northeastern ,nigeria1 and inequality1 elite impunity1 and alleged human rights abuses by security forces may be fueling anti-government sentiment2 ,whereas it is clear that a military approach alone will not eliminate the threat of ,boko ,haram1 and gross human rights abuses and atrocities by security forces causes insecurity and mistrust among the civilian population2 ,whereas it is imperative that the ,government of ,nigeria implement a comprehensive1 civilian security focused plan that prioritizes protecting civilians and also addresses legitimate political and economic grievances of citizens in northern ,nigeria2 ,whereas ,nigeria is scheduled to hold national elections in ,february #bjae1 and the elections appear to be the most closely contested in ,nigeria since the return to civilian rule2 ,whereas election-related violence has occurred in ,nigeria in successive elections1 including in #bjaa1 when nearly #hjj people died in clashes following the presidential election2 ,whereas ,president ,goodluck ,ebele ,azikiwe ,jonathan1 ,general ,muhammadu ,buhari1 and other presidential candidates pledged to reverse this trend by signing the ,abuja ,accord on ,january #ad1 #bjae1 in which they committed themselves and their campaigns to refraining from public statements that incite violence1 to running issue-based campaigns that do not seek to divide citizens along religious or ethnic lines1 and to supporting the impartial conduct of the electoral commission and the security services2 ,whereas ,secretary of ,state ,john ,kerry visited ,nigeria on ,january #be1 #bjae1 to emphasize the importance of ensuring the upcoming elections are peaceful1 nonviolent1 and credible2 ,whereas tensions in the country remain high1 and either electoral fraud or violence could undermine the credibility of the upcoming election2 ,whereas the people of ,nigeria aspire for a fair1 competently executed1 and secure electoral process1 as well as an outcome that can be accepted peacefully by all citizens2 and ,whereas it is in the best interest of the ,united ,states to maintain close ties with a politically stable1 democratic and economically sound ,nigeria3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 condemns ,boko ,haram for its violent attacks1 particularly the indiscriminate targeting of civilians1 especially women and girls1 and the use of children as fighters and suicide bombers2 7#b7 stands with-- 7,a7 the people of ,nigeria in their right to live free from fear or intimidation by state or nonstate actors1 regardless of their ethnic1 religious1 or regional affiliation2 7,b7 the people of ,cameroon1 ,chad1 and ,niger who are increasingly at risk of becoming victims of ,boko ,haram's violence2 and 7,c7 the international community in its efforts to defeat ,boko ,haram2 7#c7 supports the ,abuja ,accord1 and calls on candidates1 party officials1 and adherents of all political movements to comply with the code of conduct spelled out therein1 by refraining from any rhetoric or action that seeks to demonize or delegitimize opponents1 sow division among ,nigerians1 or otherwise inflame tensions2 7#d7 condemns any and all abuses of civilians by security forces of the ,government of ,nigeria2 7#e7 urges the ,government of ,nigeria-- 7,a7 to conduct timely1 credible1 transparent1 and peaceful elections2 7,b7 to refrain from using security services for political purposes in connection with the elections2 7,c7 to prioritize the safety and security of ,nigerians vulnerable to ,boko ,haram attacks2 7,d7 to implement a comprehensive1 civilian security focused response to defeat ,boko ,haram that addresses political and economic grievances of citizens in the north2 7,e7 to improve the capacity and conduct of ,nigeria's security forces1 including respect for human rights1 and take steps to hold accountable through a transparent process those members of the security forces responsible for abuses2 7,f7 to recognize that security forces are intended to protect the safety and security of all citizens equally2 and 7,g7 to cooperate with regional and international partners to defeat ,boko ,haram2 7#f7 urges all ,nigerians to engage in the electoral process1 to insist on full enfranchisement1 and to reject inflammatory or divisive rhetoric or actions2 and 7#g7 reaffirms that the people of the ,united ,states will continue to stand with the people of ,nigeria in support of peace and democracy4