,i #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #hgah ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #g1 #bjbf,mr4 ,wilson of ,south ,carolina 7for himself and ,mr4 ,jackson of ,illinois7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,financial ,services1 the ,judiciary1 and ,oversight and ,government ,reform1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to impose sanctions on foreign persons and foreign governments participating in or facilitating the recruitment of foreign nationals from ,african countries for the purpose of fighting in the war in ,ukraine4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,countering ,russia's ,forced ,recruitment and ,kidnapping in ,africa ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,russian-backed entities are working to recruit civilian and military personnel across the ,african continent to participate in ,russia's illegal war against ,ukraine4 7#b7 ,the ,ukrainian ,government has reported that more than #a1djj citizens from #cf countries across ,africa are fighting alongside ,russian forces in ,ukraine4 7#c7 ,africans sent to the conflict are often forced to take the most dangerous combat roles in the most dangerous areas of the conflict because ,russians believe their lives are less valuable4 ,videos from the conflict show ,african recruits with landmines strapped to their chest and ordered by ,russian soldiers to fight or die4 ,africans are regularly referred to as expendable and cannon fodder by ,russians in the conflict areas4 7#d7 ,the daughter of former ,south ,african president ,jacob ,zuma1 ,duduzile ,zuma-,sambudla1 has been accused in multiple lawsuits of luring #ag ,south ,africans and two ,botswanan men to ,russia by telling them they would be training as bodyguards for her father's political party or attending a personal development course4 7#e7 ,accounts of recruitment in ,south ,africa highlight that victims are regularly misled under false pretenses4 ,when they arrive in ,russia1 their clothes and passports are often burned1 and their phones are taken away4 ,if a contract was presented upon recruitment1 it is often switched for one written in ,russian with the express intent of exploiting the victim for their service or labor4 7#f7 ,other cases reveal that victims believed they were travelling to ,moscow for advanced military training but were instead sent to fight on the front lines in ,ukraine4 7#g7 ,a group of more than twenty ,kenyan men were rescued from a suspected human trafficking ring in ,september #bjbe following a raid on a residential complex in ,nairobi4 ,the men had reportedly been promised jobs in ,russia but were set to be sent to fight in ,ukraine4 7#h7 ,evan ,kibet1 a ,kenyan long-distance runner1 reports a sports agent offered to fly him and three other ,kenyans to ,st4 ,petersburg for races4 ,there1 he was told to sign work papers in ,russian1 and told if he did not sign1 he would be killed4 ,he was then sent to a military camp4 7#i7 ,kenya's foreign ministry has described ruthless ,kremlin-linked recruiters tricking young men to join the war with false job promises4 ,according to the ,kenyan ,foreign ,minister1 agents masquerade as working with the ,russian government and use unscrupulous methods including falsified information to lure innocent ,kenyans into the battlefield4 7#aj7 ,in ,september #bjbe1 ,kenyan authorities arrested a ,russian ,embassy employee in ,nairobi and a ,kenyan accomplice1 accused of recruiting local men as mercenaries to fight for ,russia4 7#aa7 ,in addition1 using local networks of recruiters1 ,russia has also directly recruited numerous ,cameroonian soldiers1 with estimates that #fe ,cameroonians had been killed in the war4 7#ab7 ,according to ,ukrainian media1 ,ukrainian forces captured two ,cameroonian nationals that claimed they had come to ,russia to work--one to make shampoo and the other to fix teeth--before they were instead sent to fight for ,russia4 7#ac7 ,african women have been lured to the ,alabuga ,special ,economic ,zone in the ,republic of ,tatarstan in ,russia through a recruitment scheme targeting #ah-to-#bb-year-old women promising participants professional training in logistics1 catering1 and hospitality4 ,instead1 these women are subject to hazardous factory condition and used to build drones4 ,by some estimates more than #a1jjj women have been recruited from across ,africa to work in ,alabuga's weapons factories4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 ,russia's illegal1 full-scale invasion of ,ukraine has strained the ,russian military1 generating a need for additional personnel to supplement the ranks of ,russia's armed forces and leading to the deceptive and coerced recruitment of ,africans2 7#b7 abduction and forced recruitment of ,african nationals to support the ,russian war machine in ,ukraine likely constitutes human rights violations2 and 7#c7 it is unacceptable that some ,african government officials have knowingly participated in or benefited from these recruitment operations at the expense of their citizens4 #d4 ,list 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall create a list of foreign persons and foreign governments participating in or facilitating the recruitment of nationals from ,african countries for the purpose of-- 7#a7 knowingly or unknowingly joining the ,russian military for the purposes of fighting in ,ukraine2 7#b7 knowingly or unknowingly joining ,russia-aligned organizations for the purposes of fighting in ,ukraine2 or 7#c7 accepting employment under false pretenses or as volunteer work that supports the ,russian war effort against ,ukraine4 7b7 ,protection of victims ,individuals who are determined to be victims of fraud1 coercion1 or deception in connection with the activities described in subsection 7a7 shall not be included on the list established under that subsection4 #e4 ,sanctions required 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #cj days after the list required by section #d is created by the ,secretary of ,state the ,president may impose the sanctions described in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#g7 of subsection 7b7 on each foreign person and foreign government identified on the list4 7b7 ,sanctions described ,the sanctions described in this subsection are the following3 7#a7 ,blocking of property ,the ,president shall pursuant to the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq471 block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of the foreign person if such property and interests in property are in the ,united ,states1 come within the ,united ,states1 or are or come within the possession or control of a ,united ,states person4 7#b7 ,export-,import ,bank assistance for exports to sanctioned persons ,the ,president shall direct the ,export-,import ,bank of the ,united ,states not to give approval to the issuance of any guarantee1 insurance1 extension of credit1 or participation in the extension of credit in connection with the export of any goods or services to the foreign person or foreign government4 7#c7 ,loans from ,united ,states financial institutions ,the ,president shall prohibit any ,united ,states financial institution from making loans or providing credits to the foreign person or foreign government totaling more than #aj1jjj1jjj in any #ab-month period unless the person is primarily engaged in activities to relieve human suffering and the loans or credits are provided for such activities4 7#d7 ,loans from international financial institutions ,the ,president shall direct the ,united ,states executive director to each international financial institution to use the voice and vote of the ,united ,states to oppose any loan from the international financial institution that would benefit the foreign person or foreign government4 7#e7 ,loans from the ,international ,development ,finance ,corporation2 the ,united ,states ,trade and ,development ,agency and ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation ,the ,president shall direct the ,chief ,executive ,officer of the ,united ,states ,international ,development ,finance ,corporation1 the ,chief ,executive ,officer of the ,millennium ,challenge ,corporation and the ,director of the ,united ,states ,trade and ,development ,agency to prohibit any loan1 loan guarantee1 equity investment1 project assistance1 or any other type of support to a listed foreign person or foreign government4 7#f7 ,procurement sanction ,the ,united ,states ,government may not procure1 or enter into any contract for the procurement of1 any goods or services from the foreign person or foreign government4 7#g7 ,exclusion of foreign individuals 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,president shall direct the ,secretary of ,state to deny a visa to1 and the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security to exclude from the ,united ,states1 any individual identified in the report required by subsection 7a74 7,b7 ,visas1 admission1 or parole ,an alien who the ,secretary of ,state or the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security 7or a designee of one of such ,secretaries7 knows1 or has reason to believe1 is described in subparagraph 7,a7 is-- 7i7 inadmissible to the ,united ,states2 7ii7 ineligible for a visa or other documentation to enter the ,united ,states2 and 7iii7 otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the ,united ,states or to receive any other benefit under the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja et seq474 7,c7 ,current visas revoked 7i7 ,in general ,the issuing consular officer1 the ,secretary of ,state1 or the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security 7or a designee of one of such ,secretaries7 shall1 in accordance with section #bba7;i7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abja7;i771 revoke any visa or other entry documentation issued to an alien described in subparagraph 7,a7 regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is issued4 7ii7 ,effect of revocation ,a revocation under clause 7i7-- 7,i7 shall take effect immediately2 and 7,,ii7 shall automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the alien's possession4 7c7 ,exceptions 7#a7 ,exception to comply with international obligations ,sanctions under subsection 7b77#g7 shall not apply with respect to the admission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien into the ,united ,states is necessary to permit the ,united ,states to comply with the ,agreement regarding the ,headquarters of the ,united ,nations1 signed at ,lake ,success ,june #bf1 #aidg1 and entered into force ,november #ba1 #aidg1 between the ,united ,nations and the ,united ,states1 or other applicable international obligations4 7#b7 ,exception relating to the provision of humanitarian assistance ,sanctions under this section may not be imposed with respect to transactions or the facilitation of transactions for-- 7,a7 the sale of agricultural commodities1 food1 medicine1 or medical devices2 7,b7 the provision of humanitarian assistance2 7,c7 financial transactions relating to humanitarian assistance2 or 7,d7 transporting goods or services that are necessary to carry out operations relating to humanitarian assistance4 7#c7 ,exception for intelligence1 law enforcement1 and national security activities ,sanctions under this section shall not apply to any authorized intelligence1 law enforcement1 or national security activities of the ,united ,states4 7#d7 ,classified information ,in any judicial review of a determination made under this section1 if the determination was based on classified information 7as defined in section #a7;a7 of the ,classified ,information ,procedures ,act7 such information may be submitted to the reviewing court ex parte and in camera4 ,this paragraph does not confer or imply any right to judicial review4 7d7 ,national interest waiver ,the ,president may waive the imposition of sanctions under subsection 7b7 with respect to a person if the ,president-- 7#a7 determines that such a waiver is vital to the national interests of the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 not more than #ae days after issuing the waiver1 submits to the appropriate congressional committees a notification of the waiver and the reasons for the waiver4 #f4 ,termination of sanctions ,the ,president may terminate the application of sanctions under this ,act with respect to a person if the ,president determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees not later than #ae days before the termination of the sanctions that-- 7#a7 credible information exists that the person did not engage in the activity for which sanctions were imposed2 7#b7 the person has credibly demonstrated a significant change in behavior1 has paid an appropriate consequence for the activity for which sanctions were imposed1 and has credibly committed to not engage in an activity described in paragraph 7#a7 in the future2 or 7#c7 the termination of the sanctions is in the vital national interests of the ,united ,states4 #g4 ,defined term ,in this ,act1 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,committee of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate4 #h4 ,sunset ,any sanctions imposed pursuant to this ,act shall terminate on the date that is #e years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4