Whereas
the people of Sudan have been devastated by war for all but 10 years since
Sudan gained its independence in 1956;
Whereas
the second civil war in Sudan between the Government of Sudan in the north and
the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in the south began in 1983 and lasted for
more than 20 years;
Whereas
more than 2,000,000 people died and more than 4,000,000 people were
internationally displaced or became refugees as a direct or indirect result of
the civil war in Sudan;
Whereas
the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army failed
on numerous occasions to bring a peaceful and just end to the civil war in
Sudan throughout the 1990s;
Whereas, in September 2001, President
George W. Bush appointed former Senator John Danforth as Special Envoy for
Peace in Sudan to explore the potential of the United States to become involved
in searching for a just resolution to the civil war in Sudan, and appointed
Andrew Natsios, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, as the Special Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan to enhance the
delivery of assistance that could help reduce the suffering of the people of
Sudan;
Whereas, in July 2002, the Government of
Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army reached the historic
Machakos Protocol, an agreement on the role of religion in Sudan and the right
to self-determination for the people of southern Sudan;
Whereas, in October 2002, the Government of
Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army signed a memorandum of
understanding that called for a cessation of hostilities and unimpeded
humanitarian access to all areas of Sudan;
Whereas
peace talks continued throughout 2003, with discussions focusing on wealth
sharing and the control of 3 contested areas of Sudan;
Whereas, on November 19, 2004, the
Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army signed a
declaration committing themselves to reach a final comprehensive peace
agreement by December 31, 2004, in the context of a special session of the
United Nations Security Council;
Whereas, on November 19, 2004, the United
Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 1574,
which welcomed the commitment of the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement/Army to reach an agreement by the end of 2004, and
highlighted the intention of the international community to assist the people
of Sudan and support the implementation of a comprehensive peace
agreement;
Whereas
the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army
initialed the final elements of a comprehensive peace agreement on December 31,
2004;
Whereas, on January 9, 2005, the Government
of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army formally signed the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement;
Whereas
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement provides for a new constitution, new
arrangements for power sharing and wealth sharing, and a 6-year interim period
to be followed by a referendum in southern Sudan so that the people of southern
Sudan can decide their political future;
Whereas
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement provides for new institutions to be created
and a new Government of National Unity to be installed in Sudan once the
constitution is ratified;
Whereas despite progress on reaching a peace agreement on
the North-South conflict there has been little progress to end the ongoing
conflict in the region of Darfur;
Whereas, after tens of thousands of
civilians died due to a targeted campaign of violence by the Government of
Khartoum, Congress declared on July 22, 2004, that the atrocities in Darfur
were genocide, committed primarily by the Government of Sudan and its allied
Janjaweed militias;
Whereas, on September 9, 2004, Secretary of
State Colin Powell testified that genocide has been committed in
Darfur
;
Whereas, on June 30, 2005, President Bush
confirmed that the violence in Darfur region is clearly genocide [and]
the human cost is beyond calculation
;
Whereas
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement provides a model for the resolution of all
conflicts in Sudan, including Darfur, eastern Sudan, and elsewhere;
Whereas, on July 9, 2005, the 6-year
interim period under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement began with the formation
of a new transitional government and the signing of an interim constitution,
and Dr. John Garang, the Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/Army, was sworn in by President Omar Hassan al Bashir as First Vice
President of Sudan;
Whereas
millions of the people across Sudan continue to suffer from the effects of war,
including displacement and war-related disease, hunger, and
malnutrition;
Whereas
the people of southern Sudan are in desperate need of reconstruction assistance
to build and improve vital infrastructure components that are nearly
nonexistent in southern Sudan;
Whereas, despite the historic signing of
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005, the key to success will now
be the full and timely implementation of the agreement by all sides, wholly
consistent with the letter, spirit, and intent of the agreement; and
Whereas
the impact and efficacy of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement will also be
measured by the political resolution of ongoing conflict in other parts of
Sudan, including Darfur and the east of Sudan: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)commends the people of Sudan on the signing
of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement on January 9, 2005;
(2)urges the new Government of National Unity
of Sudan, consisting of elements of the National Congress Party and the Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement/Army, to fully implement the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement in a timely manner consistent with the letter, spirit, and intent of
the agreement;
(3)requests that the United States
Government—
(A)commit to high-level, sustained engagement
to closely monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and
events on the ground in Sudan, including in Darfur and elsewhere; and
(B)sustain pressure as appropriate to ensure
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is implemented in a full, timely, and
thorough manner;
(4)urges the United States Government—
(A)to maintain sanctions on the Government of
Sudan as appropriate until the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has been fully
honored and implemented; and
(B)to renew efforts to implement additional
sanctions through the United Nations Security Council until peace in Darfur is
achieved and those responsible for genocide, war crimes, crimes against
humanity, and criminal acts are brought to justice;
(5)strongly urges the Government of National
Unity of Sudan to use the Comprehensive Peace Agreement as the basis for
negotiation of a peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Darfur and other areas
of Sudan;
(6)strongly supports the expansion of the size
and role of the mission of the African Union in Darfur to protect civilians in
Darfur and encourages continued support for this mission from the United
States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other countries and
international organizations;
(7)strongly supports the United Nations
Mission in the Sudan and the expansion of this mission to protect civilians and
aid workers throughout Sudan;
(8)supports the continued provision of
humanitarian and reconstruction assistance from the United States to the people
of southern Sudan, in addition to the assistance allocated for the people of
Darfur, so that the people of Sudan may experience and appreciate the benefits
of peace;
(9)supports international efforts to
facilitate the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internationally
displaced persons to their homes in Sudan; and
(10)calls upon the governments of all countries
in the Sudan region and around the world to actively support and monitor the
full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to help ensure that
the people of Sudan pursue the path to peace, prosperity, and security.