S2125DEC8

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Week Ending December 8, 2006

S.2125 A bill to promote relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<< Click flag for map and country data, Democratic Republic of Congo

This bill would, among other things, build on the policy of the US towards the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. The US would support the political process there and press all parties in the Transitional Government to move forward and approve an electoral law and the mechanisms necessary for election to be held without incident and to improve security and democracy. The US pledges to help the DRC to meet the basic needs of its citizens including security, safety, access to health care, education, food, shelter and clean drinking water.

$52 million in 2006 would be used for bilateral assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 and the Arms and Export Control Act. The President is required to provide to Congress within 180 days of passage of this act a strategy for achieving the US policy objectives and how the US would participate in the objectives. The President would also be authorized to withdraw aid from the country if specific guidelines are not implemented or followed.

The bill would also establish a Special Envoy for the DRC Great Lakes region where unrest is chronic. In the UN the ambassador would be directed to urge prompt investigations and prosecution of UN personnel responsible for sexual abuses in the DRC.

DRC surveillance and intelligence-gathering capabilities would be enhanced as well as its ability to effectively keep the peace and control border and airfield natural resource exploitation. Recruiting and arming children would be halted and violators of the arms embargo would be held accountable.

Sponsor: Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)

Vote: Passed Senate December 2006 by Unanimous Consent. Passed House by voice vote December 6, 2006.

Cost to the taxpayers: $52 million for FY 2006.

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MORE INFORMATION

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) The National Security Strategy of the United States, dated September 17, 2002, concludes that `[i]n Africa, promise and opportunity sit side-by-side with disease, war, and desperate poverty. This threatens both a core value of the United States preserving human dignity and our strategic priority combating global terror. American interests and American principles, therefore, lead in the same direction: we will work with others for an African continent that lives in liberty, peace, and growing prosperity.'

(2) On February 16, 2005, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency testified, `In Africa, chronic instability will continue to hamper counterterrorism efforts and pose heavy humanitarian and peacekeeping burdens.'

(3) According to the United States Agency for International Development, `Given its size, population, and resources, the Congo is an important player in Africa and of long-term interest to the United States.'

(4) The Democratic Republic of Congo is 2,345,410 square miles (approximately 1/4 the size of the United States), lies at the heart of Africa, and touches every major region of sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, a secure, peaceful, and prosperous Democratic Republic of the Congo would have a profound impact on progress throughout Africa.

(5) A mortality study completed in December 2004 by the International Rescue Committee found that 31,000 people were dying monthly and 3,800,000 people had died in the previous 6 years because of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and resulting disintegration of the social service infrastructure and that `improving and maintaining security and increasing simple, proven and cost-effective interventions such as basic medical care, immunizations and clean water would save hundreds of thousands of lives in the Congo. There's no shortage of evidence. It's sustained compassion and political will that's lacking.'

(6) The International Crisis Group concluded, `The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II and has resulted in the loss of nearly 4 million lives since 1998.... The international community, and the United Nations Security Council in particular, must take strong and urgent action to support the transition, establish a national army and secure lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, if it is to live up to its responsibility to protect those in need.'

(7) According to the Department of State, `returning one of Africa's largest countries [the Democratic Republic of the Congo] to full peace and stability will require significant United States investments in support of national elections, the reintegration of former combatants, the return and reintegration of refugees and [internally displaced persons], establishment of central government control over vast territories, and promotion of national reconciliation and good governance'.

(8) According to the 2005 Department of State report on human rights practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, `In all areas of the country, the human rights record remained poor, and numerous serious abuses were committed; however, there were some improvements during the year.'.

SEC. 102. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States--

(1) to promote, reinvigorate, and support the political process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in order to press all parties in the Transitional National Government to move forward with approval of an electoral law and put in place mechanisms, including national and international election observers, fair and transparent voter registration procedures, and a significant civic awareness and public education campaign, to ensure that the elections scheduled to be held on July 30, 2006, and future elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are carried out in a fair and democratic manner;

(2) to ensure that, once a stable national government is established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is committed to multiparty democracy, open and transparent governance, respect for human rights and religious freedom, ending the violence throughout the country, promoting peace and stability with its neighbors, rehabilitating the national judicial system and enhancing the rule of law, and combating corruption;

(3) to assist the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in meeting the basic needs of its citizens, including security, safety, and access to health care, education, food, shelter, and clean drinking water;

(4) to engage in security sector reform by helping the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo establish through the provision of necessary equipment and training a viable and professional national army and police force that respects human rights and the rule of law, is under effective civilian control, and possesses a viable presence throughout the entire country, including by contributing to the provision of necessary equipment and training;

(5) to expedite planning and implementation of programs associated with the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reintegration, and rehabilitation process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

(6) to support efforts of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), and other entities, as appropriate, to disarm, demobilize, and repatriate the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and other illegally armed groups;

(7) to ensure that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo--

(A) is committed to responsible and transparent management of natural resources across the country; and

(B) takes active measures--

(i) to promote economic development;

(ii) to hold accountable individuals who misuse the country's natural resources for personal gain; and

(iii) to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative by enacting laws requiring disclosure and independent auditing of company payments and government receipts for natural resource extraction;

(8) to promote a viable civil society and to enhance nongovernmental organizations and institutions, including religious organizations, the media, political parties, trade unions, and trade and business associations, that can act as a stabilizing force and effective check on the government;

(9) to rebuild and enhance infrastructure, communications, and other mechanisms that will increase the ability of the central government to manage internal affairs, encourage economic development, and facilitate relief efforts of humanitarian organizations;

(10) to halt the high prevalence of sexual abuse and violence perpetrated against women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and mitigate the detrimental effects from acts of this type of violence by undertaking a number of health, education, and financial support measures, including psycho-social programs, counseling, and HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, and providing financial support;

(11) to work aggressively on a bilateral basis to urge governments of countries contributing troops to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to enact and enforce laws on trafficking in persons and sexual abuse that meet international standards, promote codes of conduct for troops serving as part of United Nations peacekeeping missions, and immediately investigate and punish citizens who are responsible for abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

(12) to undertake steps that--

(A) protect internally displaced persons and refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and border regions from all forms of violence, including gender-based violence and other human rights abuses;

(B) address other basic needs of vulnerable populations with the goal of allowing these conflict-affected individuals to ultimately return to their homes; and

(C) assess the magnitude of the problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo of orphans from conflict and HIV/AIDS, and work to establish a program of national support;

(13) to engage with governments working to promote peace and security throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo and hold accountable individuals, entities, and countries working to destabilize the country; and

(14) to promote appropriate use of the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a manner that benefits the rural population in that country that depends on the forests for their livelihoods and protects national and environmental interests.

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