[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 319 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 319

 Recognizing the Seventh 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2021

  Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Ms. Speier, Mr. Garamendi, Ms. 
 Bass, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, and Mr. 
McGovern) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the Seventh 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.

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 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 7 years since their abduction, the fate of many of the girls 
        remains unknown and as many as 100 or more 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 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 according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, an estimated 
        two million people have been displaced from their homes in northeast 
        Nigeria;
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 $15,000,000 in fiscal 
        years 2020 and 2021 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 House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the tragic seventh 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; and
                    (E) 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; and
            (7) 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.
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