[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 113 (Monday, July 29, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H8621-H8623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN MAURITANIA
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 142) regarding the human rights
situation in Mauritania, including the continued practice of chattel
slavery, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 142
Whereas the Government of Mauritania has perpetrated a
prolonged campaign of human rights abuses and discrimination
against its indigenous black population;
Whereas the Department of State and numerous human rights
organizations have documented such abuses;
Whereas chattel slavery, with an estimated tens of
thousands of black Mauritanians considered property of their
masters and performing unpaid labor, persists despite its
legal abolition in 1980;
Whereas individuals attempting to escape from their owners
in Mauritania may be subjected to severe punishment and
torture;
Whereas the right to a fair trial in Mauritania continues
to be restricted due to executive branch pressure on the
judiciary;
Whereas policies designed to favor a particular culture and
language have marginalized black Mauritanians in the areas of
education and employment particularly;
Whereas Mauritanians are deprived of their constitutional
right to a democratically elected government;
Whereas Mauritanian authorities have still refused to
investigate or punish individuals responsible for the
massacre of over 500 military and civilian black Mauritanians
in 1990 and 1991; and
Whereas significant numbers of black Mauritanians remain
refugees stripped of their citizenship and property,
including tens of thousands of black Mauritanians who were
expelled or fled Mauritania during 1989 and 1990: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) calls upon the Government of Mauritania to honor its
obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and the Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, to prosecute
slave owners to the fullest extent of the country's anti-
slavery law, and to educate individuals being held as slaves
on their legal rights;
(2) strongly urges the Government of Mauritania to abolish
discriminatory practices and foster an environment that will
integrate black Mauritanians into the economic and social
mainstream;
(3) urges in the strongest terms that the Government of
Mauritania fully investigate and prosecute those officials
responsible for the extrajudicial killings and mass
expulsions of black Mauritanians during the late 1980s and
early 1990s;
(4) calls upon the Government of Mauritania to continue to
allow all refugees to return to Mauritania and to restore
their full rights;
(5) welcomes Mauritania's recent invitation to
international human rights organizations to visit Mauritania;
and
(6) further welcomes the growth of an independent press in
Mauritania.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] and the gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood]
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter].
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this legislation was introduced by this
Member. It is hard to believe that in 1996, chattel slavery continues
to exist in Mauritania. This gross injustice infringes on the most
fundamental of human rights of perhaps thousands of that country's
underclass. Members of
[[Page H8622]]
that group are considered property of masters and expected to perform
unpaid labor. This body should applaud the independent investigators,
such as American journalist Sam Cotton, who have labored hard to break
the conspiracy of silence surrounding this shameful practice.
It would be bad enough if slavery were the only abuse perpetrated
against a certain class of Mauritania's people. Unfortunately, it is
only one element of that country's tragic human rights situation. The
government has yet to investigate or punish those responsible for the
massacre in 1990 and 1991 of over 500 military and civilian
Mauritanians, almost entirely from one ethnic group.
Mauritania's refugee population continues to suffer. Only a small
number of the 70,000 Mauritanians who were expelled or fled the country
from 1989 to 1990 have been resettled. Most of this group continues to
eke out a bleak existence in squalid refugee camps on Senegal's border,
stripped of their citizenship and their property in their homeland.
Finally, although Mauritania's citizens are constitutionally
guaranteed the right to elect their government, the multiparty
elections held in 1992 that ended 14 years of military rule were
considered fraudulent by the U.S. State Department and other
international observers.
Mr. Speaker, it is the hope of this Member that House Concurrent
Resolution 142 will help convince the government of Mauritania to once
and for all abolish slavery and vigorously prosecute violators of
existing antislavery laws. It is time that all classes of Mauritanians
finally be integrated into the full social and economic mainstream of
their country, a basic right to which they are fully entitled.
This Member further hopes that the attention generated by this
resolution will induce Mauritania to schedule free elections and
rectify other injustices.
Mr. Speaker, this Member would now like to express his deep
appreciation to the gentleman from New York, [Mr. Gilman], chairman of
the Committee on International Relations, whose efforts were
instrumental in moving House Concurrent Resolution 142 to the floor. In
addition, this Member would recognize the extraordinary efforts of the
gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Ros-Lehtinen], the chairman of the
Subcommittee on Africa, who has been a leader in bringing this issue to
the attention of the world. The gentlewoman has held the important
hearings on the matter and has done much to expose the continuing
practice of slavery.
Lastly, this gentleman would recognize the efforts of the
distinguished gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne] who has worked in a
bipartisan manner to help craft a common expression of concern and
outrage. Finally, this Member would like to parenthetically say he owes
a great debt of assistance and help from Ms. Angela Clark, a member of
my staff, in effect, who has been serving as a fellow in that capacity.
Her work on this issue has been fundamentally important to the Member,
and I appreciate it.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent
Resolution 142, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I fully support the resolution introduced by
Mr. Bereuter, House Concurrent Resolution 142, concerning the human
rights situation in Mauritania, including the continued practice of
chattel slavery.
According to the 1995 State Department Human Rights report, tens of
thousands of Mauritanians continue to live in servitude or near-
servitude. While the Government of Mauritania has prohibited the
practice of slavery and adopted related measures, much needs to be done
to eliminate the vestiges of this appalling practice.
Mr. Bereuter's resolution will put the Congress firmly on the side of
those Mauritanians who continue to suffer in servitude. In addition,
the resolution calls upon the Government of Mauritania to take the
steps necessary to eliminate the vestiges of slavery and bring all
Mauritanians into the economic and social mainstream of society.
Mr. Speaker, this is a strong resolution. Mr. Bereuter and Mr. Payne
of New Jersey, a member of our Subcommittee on Africa, have worked
closely on this measure. It was supported on a bipartisan basis by the
entire International Relations Committee. I urge its adoption.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this resolution, House Concurrent
Resolution 142. I commend the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter]
for sponsoring this resolution. I also, as well, would like to
recognize the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne] for his important
contribution to this issue.
The effects of slavery in Mauritania remain. Refugee repatriation,
education of former slaves, and investigations of past atrocities are
all issues which need attention. I hope this resolution will send a
message about the importance of helping to improve conditions in
Mauritania. I urge its adoption.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Subcommittee on Africa
I urge all our colleagues to give strong support to this resolution
addressing the appalling situation in Mauritania.
The resolution was reported out of the Africa Subcommittee by a
unanimous vote, and reported by the Committee on International
Relations again by unanimous vote.
It seems incredible that in the year 1996, we are still faced with
the need to address reports that chattel slavery exists in any country.
Reports that slavery continues to exist in practice, if not in law, in
Mauritania are persuasive.
We continue to maintain unrelenting pressure on the Government of
Mauritania to force them to take effective action to eliminate the
practice of chattel slavery. Their actions to date have been
ineffective.
We must focus on the plight of the victims of this practice. What
could be worse than being held in slavery and to know that your
children and grandchildren will be condemned to be slaves all their
lives?
That human beings are held in bondage, bought and sold like animals,
is simply not going to be tolerated in this day and age.
What is needed is for the Government of Mauritania to start to
enforce the laws against slavery with vigor, and to prosecute those who
violate those laws.
The Africa Subcommittee, in conjunction with the Subcommittee on
International Operations and Human Rights, held a joint hearing on this
subject, and it was clear that action was needed to bring about a
positive change and an end to this horrid situation of slavery in
Mauritania.
I support this resolution without reservation and urge the House to
report this resolution by unanimous vote.
Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House
Concurrent Resolution 142, regarding human rights in Mauritania. This
resolution highlights an issue that should sadden and anger all
Americans. Indeed, the entire world should be outraged.
One would have thought that at the close of the 20th century, slavery
would have been consigned to the history books, a painful reminder of
our own ignorance and inhumanity. Instead, we are confronted with the
appalling institution of slavery alive and well.
The evidence seems clear that slavery exists in both Mauritania and
Sudan, which is why I find the public comments of our Ambassador to
Mauritania, as well as the relatively weak reference to slavery in
Mauritania in the recent Human Rights Country Report to be especially
troubling. The United States should not be down-playing slavery. We
should be raising our opposition to slavery at every possible
opportunity.
Mauritania is violating international law by tolerating the existence
of slavery and is violating its own domestic laws. There seems to have
been little effort by the government of Mauritania to stop this
abhorrent practice, since the government makes no effort to inform
people of their rights and does not prosecute those who continue to
hold slaves.
Mr. Speaker, by adopting this resolution today, the House will send a
strong signal to the Government of Mauritania that more must be done to
wipe out the scourge of slavery as well as its vestiges.
I urge all my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 142.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, House Concurrent Resolution
142, as amended,
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as
amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
[[Page H8623]]
GENERAL LEAVE
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on the legislation just considered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
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