[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 573 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 573
Condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the
terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 6, 2014
Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Mr. Engel, Ms. Bass, Ms. Lee of
California, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Sires, Ms. Frankel of Florida,
Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Bera of California, Mr. Honda, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms.
Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Royce, Ms. Sewell of
Alabama, and Ms. Hanabusa) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the
terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Whereas, on the night of April 14, 2014, 276 female students, most of them
between 15 and 18 years old, were abducted by Boko Haram from the
Government Girls Secondary School, a boarding school located in the
northeastern province of Borno in the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
Whereas, all public secondary schools in Borno state were closed in March 2014
because of increasing attacks in the past year that have killed hundreds
of students, but the young women at the Government Girls Secondary
School were recalled to take their final exams;
Whereas, Boko Haram burned down several buildings before opening fire on
soldiers and police who were guarding the Government Girls Secondary
School and forcing the students into trucks;
Whereas, according to local officials in Borno state, 53 students were able to
flee their captors, and the rest remain abducted;
Whereas, there are reports that the abducted girls have been sold as brides to
Islamist militants for the equivalent of $12 each;
Whereas, the group popularly known as ``Boko Haram'', which loosely translates
from the Hausa language to ``Western education is sin'', is known to
oppose the education of girls;
Whereas, on April 14, 2014, hours before the kidnapping in Borno state, and on
May 2, 2014, Boko Haram bombed bus stations in Abuja, Nigeria, killing
at least 94 people and wounding over 160, making it the deadliest set of
attacks ever in Nigeria's capital;
Whereas, Boko Haram has kidnapped girls in the past to use as cooks and sex
slaves, and has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping in Borno state
on April 14, 2014;
Whereas, late May 5, 2014, suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped an additional 8
girls, ranging in age from 12 to 15, from a village in northeast
Nigeria;
Whereas, the Department of State designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist
Organization in November 2013, recognizing the threat posed by the
group's large-scale and indiscriminate attacks against civilians,
including women and children;
Whereas, reports estimate that more than 500 students and 100 teachers have been
killed by Boko Haram and have destroyed roughly 500 schools in northern
Nigeria, leaving more than 15,000 students without access to education;
Whereas, Boko Haram has targeted schools, mosques, churches, villages, and
agricultural centers, as well as government facilities, in an armed
campaign to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, prompting the
President of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency in three of the
country's northeastern states in May 2013;
Whereas, human rights groups have indicated that the Nigerian state security
forces should improve efforts to protect civilians during offensive
operations against Boko Haram;
Whereas, according to nongovernmental organizations, more than 1,500 people have
been killed in attacks by Boko Haram or reprisals by Nigerian security
forces this year alone, and that almost 4,000 people have been killed in
Boko Haram attacks since 2011;
Whereas, the enrollment, retention, and completion of education for girls in
Nigeria remains a major challenge;
Whereas, according to the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF),
some 4,700,000 children of primary school age are still not in school in
Nigeria, with attendance rates lowest in the north;
Whereas, studies have found that school children in Nigeria, particularly those
in the northern provinces, are at a disadvantage in their education,
with 37 percent of primary-age girls in the rural northeast not
attending school, and 30 percent of boys not attending school; and
Whereas, women and girls must be allowed to go to school without fear of
violence and unjust treatment so that they can take their rightful place
as equal citizens of and contributors to society: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses its strong support for the people of Nigeria,
especially the parents and families of the girls abducted by
Boko Haram in Borno state, and calls for the immediate, safe
return of the girls;
(2) condemns Boko Haram for its violent attacks on civilian
targets, including schools, mosques, churches, villages, and
agricultural centers in Nigeria;
(3) encourages the Government of Nigeria to strengthen
efforts to protect children seeking to obtain an education and
to hold those who conduct such violent attacks accountable;
(4) commends efforts by the United States Government to
hold terrorist organizations, such as Boko Haram, accountable;
(5) supports offers of United States assistance to the
government of Nigeria in the search for these abducted girls
and encourages the government of Nigeria to work with the
United States and other concerned governments to resolve this
tragic situation;
(6) recognizes that every individual, regardless of gender,
should have the opportunity to pursue an education without fear
of discrimination; and
(7) encourages the Department of State and the United
States Agency for International Development to continue their
support for initiatives that promote the human rights of women
and girls in Nigeria.
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