Whereas, on July 22, 2004, the Senate and House of
Representatives declared that the atrocities occurring in the Darfur region of
Sudan are genocide;
Whereas, on September 9, 2004, Secretary of State Colin L.
Powell stated before the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate,
When we reviewed the evidence compiled by our team, along with other
information available to the State Department, we concluded that genocide has
been committed in Darfur and that the Government of Sudan and the [Janjaweed]
bear responsibility—and genocide may still be occurring.
;
Whereas, on September 21, 2004, in an address before the
United Nations General Assembly, President George W. Bush affirmed the finding
of Secretary of State Powell and stated, At this hour, the world is
witnessing terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of
Sudan, crimes my government has concluded are genocide.
;
Whereas various nongovernmental organizations have
estimated that up to 400,000 people have died in Darfur from combat, hunger,
and disease since February 2003;
Whereas prominent human rights groups, think tanks, and
members of Congress have called for the appointment of a Presidential Special
Envoy for Sudan;
Whereas Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, who had
acted as the lead negotiator and coordinator for the United States Government
toward Darfur, resigned from that position on June 19, 2006;
Whereas Ambassador Zoellick was instrumental in securing
the peace agreement among the Government of Sudan and rebel factions on May 5,
2006, and was described by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as
indispensable in our efforts to bring peace to Sudan and to end the
violence in Darfur
;
Whereas other United States Government officials deeply
involved in Darfur are departing public service or moving to new positions,
including White House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson, National Security Council
Senior Director for African Affairs Cindy Courville, and the State Department
Special Representative to Sudan Michael Ranneberger; and
Whereas the crisis in Darfur, and generally Sudan,
continues to command urgent attention due to the ongoing displacement of
roughly 2,500,000 people, the continuing instability in the region, the
fragility of the May 5, 2006, peace accord, the spread of the conflict to
neighboring Chad, the lack of security that prevents multilateral organizations
and nongovernmental organizations from providing assistance to the most
vulnerable displaced persons of Darfur, the reluctance by the Government of
Sudan to allow a robust United Nations presence in that country, and the
difficulties involved in assisting the African Union Mission in Sudan and
transitioning that body into a United Nations force: Now, therefore, be
it
That—
(1)the Senate
commends the efforts of former Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in
Darfur and the contributions of White House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson,
Ambassador Cindy Courville, and Ambassador Michael Ranneberger; and
(2)it is the sense
of the Senate that—
(A)the United States
urgently needs an individual of Ambassadorial rank and high stature to devote
exclusive attention to Darfur and related issues concerning peace and stability
in Sudan;
(B)such individual
should formulate and coordinate policy, lead negotiations, engage with parties
to the conflict to monitor their compliance with the terms and deadlines of the
May 5, 2006, Darfur Peace Agreement, gather resources from donors, and ensure
that this crisis retains high visibility and remains a top priority for the
United States Government until it is substantially resolved; and
(C)the President
should, at the earliest date possible, appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for
Sudan with the rank of Ambassador and should provide not less than $250,000, to
support the Presidential Special Envoy, in accordance with Senate Amendment
3719 to H.R. 4939 of the 109th Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on May 3,
2006.