[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 910 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 910

 Calling for the full implementation of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace 
                               Agreement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2007

Mr. Payne submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling for the full implementation of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace 
                               Agreement.

Whereas on January 9, 2005, the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's 
        Liberation Movement (SPLM), after two and half years of negotiations, 
        signed the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement at a ceremony in Nairobi, 
        Kenya;
Whereas the signing of this agreement effectively ended the 21-year old civil 
        war and triggered a six-year Interim Period;
Whereas at the end of the Interim Period, southerners are to hold a referendum 
        to decide their political future;
Whereas in September 2005, after weeks of contentious negotiations, the SPLM and 
        the National Congress Party (NCP), formerly known as the National 
        Islamic Front (NIF), agreed on a cabinet;
Whereas on July 30, 2005, First Vice President and Chairman of the SPLM, Dr. 
        John Garang, was killed in a plane crash in southern Sudan;
Whereas the death of Dr. Garang triggered violence between government security 
        forces and southerners in Khartoum and Juba;
Whereas the Bush Administration played a key role in the North-South peace 
        process, while pressing for a resolution of the Darfur crisis in Western 
        Sudan;
Whereas through the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD)-
        sponsored talks, the Bush Administration engaged the parties at the 
        highest levels;
Whereas United States financial support for the peace process and technical 
        assistance during the talks were considered by the parties and the 
        mediators as critical;
Whereas American interventions at critical times during the negotiations helped 
        break a number of stalemates;
Whereas the Bush Administration's sustained pressure on the Government of Sudan 
        helped secure the Comprehensive Peace Agreement;
Whereas, however, the Administration has not been forceful in ensuring 
        implementation of the CPA, despite repeated warnings by SPLM officials;
Whereas implementation of the CPA by the Government of National Unity has been 
        selective and at times deliberately slow;
Whereas the Bush Administration took the lead in setting up the mechanism to 
        resolve the Abyei problem and a former United States Ambassador to Sudan 
        chaired the Abyei Border Commission (ABC);
Whereas the Abyei protocols in the CPA was written by the United States;
Whereas the ABC was mandated to ``define and demarcate'' the area known as the 
        nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms transferred in 1905 to Kordofan in North 
        Sudan;
Whereas in July 2005, the ABC submitted its final report to the Presidency;
Whereas, according to the CPA, ``upon presentation of the final report, the 
        Presidency shall take necessary action to put the special administration 
        status of Abyei Area into immediate effect.'';
Whereas after the signing of the peace agreement, the Abyei area was suppose to 
        be administered by an Executive Council;
Whereas members of the Executive Council were suppose to be elected by the 
        residents of Abyei and the Chief Administrator appointed by the 
        Presidency;
Whereas at the end of the Interim Period, the residents of Abyei are to choose 
        between retaining a special administrative status in the north or be 
        part of South Sudan;
Whereas the Bashir Government has not put in place an administration in Abyei 
        and continues to reject the recommendation of the ABC;
Whereas, according to a September 2007 report by the United Nations Secretary 
        General, ``the lack of administration in Abyei has hampered CPA 
        activities and left gaps in policing, public sanitation, and health 
        services.'';
Whereas the CPA in many ways continues to face serious challenges despite the 
        number of commissions created and decrees issued by the Presidency to 
        address issues related to the agreement;
Whereas in October 2007, the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) suspended the 
        participation of its Ministers, State Ministers, and Presidential 
        Advisors from the Government of National Unity to protest and demand 
        full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement;
Whereas the SPLM has been complaining and urging the Sudanese government to 
        implement key provisions of the CPA and to consult the First Vice 
        President on key issues;
Whereas President Omer Bashir has been taking important decisions with little or 
        no consultation with the First Vice President since the signing of the 
        peace agreement in 2005;
Whereas on Darfur, President Bashir has been waging war and deliberately 
        sidelining the SPLM on key decisions;
Whereas, according to the CPA, ``the President shall take decisions with the 
        consent of the First Vice President on declaration and termination of 
        state of emergency, declaration of war, appointments that the president 
        is required to make according to the peace agreement, summoning, 
        adjourning, or proroguing the National Assembly, and.'';
Whereas in December 2007, President Bashir agreed to some of the GOSS demands, 
        although the issue of Abyei remains unresolved in large part due to the 
        intransigence of the Bashir Government; and
Whereas if the Abyei issue is not resolved soon, the prospects for war are real: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls for the full implementation of the Comprehensive 
        Peace Agreement;
            (2) strongly condemns the obstructionist behavior of the 
        Bashir government;
            (3) urges President Bush to continue applying pressure on 
        the Government of Sudan to ensure full implementation of the 
        CPA and an end to the genocide in Darfur;
            (4) strongly condemns any attempt to open up the 
        Comprehensive Peace Agreement in order to appease the Bashir 
        Government;
            (5) demands full and immediate implementation of the Abyei 
        Border Commission decisions;
            (6) calls on the Bush Administration to impose additional 
        punitive measures if the Bashir government refuses to implement 
        the United States-led Abyei Commission decisions; and
            (7) strongly urges President Bush to maintain all 
        sanctions, keep Sudan on the terrorism list, and reject calls 
        to upgrade diplomatic relations with the Bashir government 
        until the CPA is fully implemented and the outcome of the 
        referendum respected by the Bashir government, and a lasting 
        and just peace is secured in Darfur, Sudan.
                                 <all>