April 11, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 63 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S2444-S2445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 170--RECOGNIZING THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHIBOK 
 GIRLS KIDNAPPING BY THE BOKO HARAM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AND CALLING 
ON THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA TO REDOUBLE EFFORTS TO BRING AN END TO THE 
CONFLICT IN NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL NIGERIA AND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO 
                              THE VICTIMS

  Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Collins, and 
Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 170

       Whereas the Boko Haram is a Nigeria-based militant group 
     with links to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Islamic 
     State;
       Whereas Boko Haram's campaign of mass and systemic 
     brutality has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of 
     individuals in northeast and central Nigeria and, according 
     to

[[Page S2445]]

     the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has caused 
     the displacement of 2,400,000 people in Nigeria, Cameroon, 
     Chad, and Niger;
       Whereas the Department of State designated Boko Haram as a 
     Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013, and supports efforts 
     to defeat Boko Haram with security and development tools;
       Whereas Boko Haram rejects modern education and science, is 
     engaged in an armed revolt against the Government of Nigeria, 
     and has carried out vicious campaigns of violence against 
     schools, public institutions, law enforcement, and civilians;
       Whereas, since 2012, Boko Haram has conducted brutal mass 
     kidnappings of women, girls, and boys, and has abducted 
     thousands of women and girls from schools and markets, during 
     raids on villages and houses, and on public transportation;
       Whereas, on April 14, 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked a 
     boarding school in Chibok in Borno State, where girls from 
     surrounding areas had gathered to take final exams;
       Whereas the Boko Haram terrorists arrived in Chibok late at 
     night, fired their guns indiscriminately, burned down houses, 
     raided the dormitories, and kidnapped 276 girls who were 
     between 12 and 17 years of age;
       Whereas 57 girls escaped by running into the forest or 
     jumping off the kidnappers' trucks as they were driving away;
       Whereas the 219 kidnapped girls were held captive, abused, 
     enslaved, repeatedly raped, starved, and, in some cases, 
     forcibly converted to Islam and married to their captors;
       Whereas child, early, and forced marriages are serious 
     human rights violations;
       Whereas the international community, including the United 
     Nations Secretary-General and the United Nations Security 
     Council, condemned the abduction and called for the immediate 
     release of the girls;
       Whereas Boko Haram ruthlessly killed some of the kidnapped 
     girls for trying to escape, while other girls died during 
     childbirth while in captivity;
       Whereas thousands of women, girls, and boys kidnapped by 
     Boko Haram have endured similar horrific experiences;
       Whereas the parents of the kidnapped girls and concerned 
     citizens banded together and embarked upon a global awareness 
     campaign to urge the rescue of the girls, using the Twitter 
     hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, through which more than 3,300,000 
     people around the world expressed their outrage at the 
     abductions and continue maintaining a vigil for the girls' 
     return to their families;
       Whereas the United States Government sent advisors to 
     Nigeria and supplied surveillance and reconnaissance to help 
     rescue the girls;
       Whereas 21 of the kidnapped girls were released in October 
     2016, and an additional 82 girls were released in May 2017;
       Whereas nearly 5 years since their abduction, more than 100 
     girls remain in captivity and are subjected to deplorable 
     abuses as recounted by the girls who have been released;
       Whereas many of the released girls are being kept in a 
     government facility in Abuja away from their families;
       Whereas despite claims by the Government of Nigeria that 
     Boko Haram had been defeated, the terrorist organization 
     continues to mount attacks against civilians, schools, and 
     security forces;
       Whereas Boko Haram has increasingly used children, 
     including girls, in suicide attacks; with 158 children used 
     in 2017, a significant increase from the 19 used for such 
     purpose in 2016;
       Whereas Boko Haram continues to abduct women and girls in 
     the northern region of Nigeria, routinely forcing girls to 
     choose between forced marriages to its fighters (for the 
     purpose of sexual slavery) or becoming suicide bombers;
       Whereas on February 19, 2018, Boko Haram militants stormed 
     the town of Dapchi and abducted 110 girls from the Government 
     Girls Science and Technical School and 2 other children;
       Whereas 106 of the children from the Dapchi kidnapping have 
     been released and 5 of the children are presumed to have died 
     in captivity;
       Whereas Leah Sharibu remains a hostage because she refuses 
     to convert to Islam;
       Whereas a surge in violence at the end of 2018 has resulted 
     in the displacement of an additional 80,000 people, further 
     burdening already overwhelmed communities and humanitarian 
     services;
       Whereas according to the International Committee of the Red 
     Cross and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, an estimated 17,000 
     individuals from Nigeria are missing, including 7,100 
     children;
       Whereas for several years the United States Government has 
     provided assistance for women and girls targeted by Boko 
     Haram and individuals displaced by Boko Haram violence, and 
     has assisted in combating Boko Haram;
       Whereas in section 1(c) of Public Law 114-266 (130 Stat. 
     1383), Congress stated that ``lack of economic opportunity 
     and access to education, justice, and other social services 
     contributes to the ability of Boko Haram to radicalize and 
     recruit individuals'';
       Whereas educating girls transforms societies for the better 
     by giving girls the knowledge and tools to make positive 
     decisions about their futures, live healthier lives, provide 
     nurturing environments for their families, and play active 
     roles in their communities and economies;
       Whereas the United States Government has appropriated 
     $11,000,000 in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 for programs to 
     combat child marriage;
       Whereas in section 2 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act 
     of 2017 (Public Law 115-68; 131 Stat. 1202), Congress found 
     that ``[w]omen in conflict-affected regions have achieved 
     significant success in . . . moderating violent extremism . . 
     . and stabilizing societies by enhancing the effectiveness of 
     security services, peacekeeping efforts, institutions, and 
     decisionmaking processes''; and
       Whereas section 4 of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 
     2017 (22 U.S.C. 2152j) states, ``It shall be the policy of 
     the United States to promote the meaningful participation of 
     women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, 
     management, and resolution, and post-conflict relief and 
     recovery efforts'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the tragic fifth anniversary of the Chibok 
     girls kidnapping and calls for the immediate release of all 
     Boko Haram captives, especially the remaining Chibok girls 
     and Leah Sharibu;
       (2) applauds the extraordinary bravery of survivors of Boko 
     Haram, who continue to come forward to share their stories 
     and experiences at great personal risk;
       (3) urges the Government of Nigeria, in cooperation with 
     regional partners and the international community, to 
     redouble efforts to defeat Boko Haram;
       (4) calls on the Government of Nigeria--
       (A) to prioritize the recovery of women and girls who have 
     been abducted and enslaved by Boko Haram;
       (B) to work to determine the whereabouts of the thousands 
     of missing people in Nigeria and provide a full accounting of 
     the number of missing girls;
       (C) to undertake concrete efforts to reduce the 
     stigmatization and marginalization of those abducted by Boko 
     Haram and provide counseling and support;
       (D) to allow women and girls to be reunited with their 
     families whenever appropriate;
       (E) to appropriately channel $1,000,000,000 from the Excess 
     Crude Account, as approved by the Nigerian State Governors in 
     December 2017, to humanitarian assistance, development, 
     education, and deradicalization programs; and
       (F) to accept international assistance in a timely manner 
     when offered;
       (5) encourages continued efforts by the United States 
     Government to defeat Boko Haram through development and 
     security partnerships with Nigeria and other regional 
     partners;
       (6) calls on the Department of State and the Department of 
     Defense to rapidly implement the 5-year regional strategy 
     required under Public Law 114-266 to address the grievous 
     threat posed by Boko Haram and other violent extremist 
     organizations;
       (7) requests the Department of State and the United States 
     Agency for International Development to meet their obligation 
     under section 7059(e)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign 
     Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2017 
     (division J of Public Law 115-31) to create a strategy to 
     address the needs of women and girls adversely impacted by 
     extremism and conflict;
       (8) requests that the Department of State track and report 
     the number of missing persons kidnapped by Boko Haram and 
     include such information in its annual Trafficking in Persons 
     Report; and
       (9) commends the swift enactment of the Women, Peace, and 
     Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68), and encourages the 
     President to immediately release the Women, Peace, and 
     Security Strategy required under section 5 of such Act (22 
     U.S.C. 2152j-1).

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