WASHINGTON, DC-- Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights was in New York for the Security Council meetings at the United Nations at the request of Ambassador Holbrook.

After meeting with the heads of state of several African nations today at the United Nations Special Session on Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Congresswoman McKinney stated, "I feel compelled to report to you that crimes against humanity are being committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and throughout Africa, seemingly with the help and support of the Clinton Administration."

McKinney called upon President Clinton to make Africa policy a greater

priority in his administration because U.S. policy in the war torn Democratic Republic of Congo is a failure. The current policies have boomeranged against us and have bankrupted us in the eyes of our victims and the world. The result is an Africa policy in disarray, a Continent on fire, and U.S. complicity in crimes against humanity."

The Democratic Republic of Congo must be helped affirmatively on the road to transparency, respect for human rights, and democracy. "The insensitive and unwillingness of this Administration to intervene and stop the illegal invasion of Democratic Republic of Congo by U.S. allies, Uganda and Rwanda, has directly led to the commission of crimes against humanity by their troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo," stated McKinney.

"The Big Lie from the State Department has been, we don't have the resources in Africa to respond effectively. The Lie angers me because, as an African American I know that there are other reasons, attitudinal reasons, for our indifference to the suffering in Africa. And it saddens me because with just a small fraction of the resources we've poured into Europe or the Middle East, we could alleviate the unnecessary and tragic suffering of so many," concluded McKinney

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