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U.S. Mayors Call for Action on Nige



Subject: U.S. Mayors Call for Action on Nigeria

                       The Africa Fund
                        June 24, 1997
               
            U.S. Conference of Mayors calls for 
          U.S. Action Against Nigerian Dictatorship


     The 1,000 member U.S. Conference of  Mayors,  at its
65th annual meeting in San Francisco,  adopted a resolution
today calling for swift restoration of human rights and
democracy in Nigeria, and the release of  political
prisoners. The resolution urges the Administration and
Congress to take all practical steps, including economic
measures, to achieve the early restoration of democracy and
human rights in Nigeria. The resolution welcomes the
measures adopted by cities across the U.S. in support of
Nigerian democracy.

     "By adopting the resolution the U.S. Conference of
Mayors has shown the same kind of leadership in support of
the democracy struggle in Nigeria as it did in the struggle
against apartheid in South Africa," said Jennifer Davis,
Executive Director of The Africa Fund, who addressed the
International Affairs Committee at the conference.  

     The resolution notes that "the United States can have
significant impact on the Nigerian government because the
U.S. annually purchases nearly half the oil exports on which
the regime depends for economic survival." Nigeria, Africa's
largest country with a population of more than 100 million,
has suffered under a military dictatorship since 1993 when
the military annulled presidential elections. The State
Department has found that the Nigerian regime commits
serious human rights abuses, routinely detaining and
torturing pro-democracy activists, and denying free speech
and the right of assembly.

     The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a non-partisan
organization of more than 1,000 cities with a population of
more than 30,000. Each city is represented in the Conference
by its mayor. Mayors co-sponsoring the resolution include:
Hon. Willie L. Brown, Jr. (San Francisco, CA); Hon. Shirley
Dean (Berkeley, CA); Hon. Roosevelt Dorn (Inglewood, CA);
Hon. Robert B. Ingram (Opa-Locka, FL); Hon. Thomas E.
Jennings (Roswell, NM); Hon. Thomas Menino (Boston, MA);
Hon. Marc Morial (New Orleans, LA); Hon. Norman B. Rice
(Seattle, WA); Hon. Sheila Doyle Russell (Cambridge, MA) and
Wellington E. Webb (Denver, CO).

     Founded in 1966 by the American Committee on Africa,
The Africa Fund works for a constructive U.S. policy toward
Africa and supports African human rights, democracy and
sustainable development. For more information contact The
Africa Fund, 17 John Street, New York, NY 10038. Phone: 212-962-1210.
E-mail: africafund@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Following is the full text of the resolution:

              SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

1)   WHEREAS, in Nigeria a military dictatorship denies more
     than 100 million people basic human and democratic
     rights and the State Department has found that the
     Nigerian regime routinely commits serious human rights
     abuses,  including arbitrary detention and torture of
     pro-democracy activists and denial of free speech and
     assembly; and

2)   WHEREAS, an estimated 7,000 opponents of the military
     regime are in jail including the   winner of the 1993
     Presidential election, Moshood Abiola, who has been
     imprisoned for three years; and pro-democracy activists
     have called for international action at great risk to
     their lives; and

3)   WHEREAS, the 1995 execution of nine environmental
     activists from the Ogoni region, including renowned
     writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, was condemned by world leaders
     including Presidents Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela,
     and many U.S. mayors; and another 19 environmental
     activists now face the danger of execution on the same
     charges; and

4)   WHEREAS, the United States can have significant impact
     on the Nigerian government because the U.S. annually
     purchases nearly half of the oil exports on which the
     regime depends for economic survival; and

5)   WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has a proud
     history of support for democracy in Africa and around
     the world and The Africa Fund has launched a campaign
     to help the Nigerian people win human rights and
     democratic rule; and

7)   WHEREAS, the cities of Amherst, Cambridge, New Orleans, 
     New York, Oakland and St. Louis have passed resolutions
     and ordinances in support of freedom in Nigeria;

8)   NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference
     of Mayors welcomes the actions by U.S. cities in
     support of democracy in Nigeria, and calls for the
     release of political prisoners and the swift 
     restoration of human rights and democracy; and

9)   BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of
     Mayors urges the Administration and Congress to take
     all practical steps, including economic measures, to
     achieve the early restoration of  democracy and human
     rights in Nigeria.