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Nigeria: Legislative Action Alert
Date Distributed (ymd): 951230
Washington Office on Africa
Special Action Alert on Nigeria Sanctions
December 29, 1995
ISSUE: In response to the hanging last month of nine Nigerian activists, bills have been introduced in both the Senate and the House that would intensify pressures against the Nigerian military regime. These bills fall short of the comprehensive sanctions demanded by Nigerian pro-democracy groups and many other groups around the world. But they do include new measures that go beyond the Administration's actions to date, including a ban on all new U.S. investment in Nigeria and a freeze on the personal assets of top officials of the Nigerian regime. Chances for passing such measures, or stronger ones, depend on whether the momentum of public pressure for action continues to build.
ACTIONS: Advocacy should focus on the U.S. Congress. Contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors of Sen. Nancy Kassebaum's S.1419 or Rep. Donald Payne's H.R. 2697. If they have already done so (see list below) express your thanks. Tell your legislators that you are concerned that international pressures against the Nigerian military regime have so far been too little and too late. Ask them what stronger actions they are planning to promote human rights and democracy in Nigeria. You may want to send a copy of your letter to Secretary of State Warren Christopher.
[Note to non-U.S. readers: This posting is provided both for your background information and for possible forwarding to those of your U.S. contacts you think would be interested.]
WHEN: In January.
WRITE, PHONE OR FAX:
The Honorable ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable _______
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Secretary of State Warren Christopher
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: (202) 647-6434
BACKGROUND: Since the Nigerian military regime hanged environmental and human rights leader Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of his fellow activists on Nov. 10, there has been an unprecedented wave of protest around the world, by literally hundreds of organizations. Saro-Wiwa, a leader of the Ogoni people in the Niger Delta, had led protests against Shell Oil, whose operations have contaminated the land in this oil- bearing region. Last year he was jailed and charged with instigating the murder of four Ogoni leaders. According to Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations, the military tribunal which condemned him was marked by torture of witnesses and other abuses. Saro- Wiwa and his colleagues were executed despite appeals for clemency from many world leaders.
Previously, in March 1995, the Nigerian military government imprisoned former Nigerian head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo and others for an alleged coup plot. It has also detained numerous human rights activists. In 1993 its predecessor, also a military regime, cancelled the June 12, 1993 presidential election before the counted results had been announced officially. Chief Moshood Abiola, the reported winner, was arrested for treason on June 12, 1994 after declaring himself president. Obasanjo and Abiola are still in detention, along with other alleged coup plotters, Ogoni activists, trade unionists, human rights activists and other opponents of the government.
While the United States and other governments have criticized the Nigerian military regime, cut off aid, restricted arms sales, and imposed visa restrictions on Nigerian officials, they have until now relied on "quiet diplomacy" rather than turning to stronger sanctions measures. In the wake of the execution of Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues, President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, who had also invested his prestige in quiet diplomacy, supported suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth and called for oil sanctions. The call for oil sanctions has been endorsed by a wide range of individuals and organizations, including Nobel Prize winners Wole Soyinka and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Human Rights Watch, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, TransAfrica, the Washington Office on Africa, and many other international and Nigerian groups.
Co-sponsors of S. 1419 as of Dec. 29, 1995 include: Leahy (D- VT), Feingold (D-WI), Jeffords (R-VT), Simon (D-IL), Wellstone (D-MN), Pell (D-RI), McCain (R-AZ), Gregg (R-NH), Chafee (R- RI), Cohen (R-ME) , Harkin (D-IA) , Kohl (D-WI), Thomas (R- WY), Snowe (R-ME).
Co-sponsors of H.R. 2697 as of Dec. 29, 1995 include: Ackerman (D-NY), Bishop (D-GA), Chabot (R-OH), Collins, B.R. (D-MI), Dellums (D-CA), Engel (D-NY), Faleomavaega (D-AS), Fattah (D-PA), Frazer (I-VI), Furse (D-OR), Hilliard (D-AL), Houghton (R-NY), Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Johnston, H. (D-FL), Lantos (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), McKinney (D-GA), Meek (D-FL), Mfume (D-MD), Moran (D-VA), Norton (D-DC), Owens (D-NY), Pelosi (D-CA), Porter (R-IL), Rangel (D-NY), Salmon (R-AZ), Scott (D-VA), C. Smith(R-NJ), Waters (D-CA), Wynn (D-MD).
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Message-Id: 199512301824.KAA03604@igc3.igc.apc.org From:
"Washington Office on Africa" woa@igc.apc.org
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 13:22:08 +0000 Subject:
Nigeria: Legislative Alert
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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