Condemning Continued Violence Against Civilians By Armed Groups in the Central African Republic
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution to condemn continued violence against civilians by armed groups in the Central African Republic and supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace in the country.
I want to thank my colleagues, Congressman Cicilline and Congressman Fortenberry, for introducing this resolution and for their commitment to this important issue.
Since the fighting began in 2013, thousands of civilians have been killed. Over half of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, and more than 1 million people have been displaced from their homes.
Still, today, most of the country remains under armed group control, and the democratically elected government continues to struggle to project any state authority. The humanitarian suffering is dire.
I am also deeply concerned with the rapid increase in Russian activity across the country. AFRICOM Commander General Townsend testified last month that Russia is deploying paramilitary contractors, extracting minerals, and attempting to buy influence in the Central African Republic. This includes the notorious Wagner Group mercenaries responsible for horrible atrocities in Libya and Syria. Russian malign activity in Central African Republic is further destabilizing this fragile and war-torn country.
This resolution urges all parties to fully adhere to the terms of the February 2019 peace agreement and cease attacks on civilians. It also calls on the international community to increase engagement to support efforts to implement the peace agreement and combat Russian malign influence. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again want to thank my colleagues for their hard work to highlight the situation in the Central African Republic.
The U.S. is both the largest donor of humanitarian assistance and largest contributor to U.N. peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic. Our assistance provides critical food and medicine to vulnerable and remote populations. However, the critical needs remain, and we must urge our partners to do more. Supporting lasting peace and efforts to stabilize the Central African Republic is in the U.S. interest.
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