[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 98 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
March 6, 2007.
Whereas Dr. John Garang de Mabior, founder and leader of the Sudan People's
Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), was born on June 23, 1945, in Bor,
Sudan;
Whereas Dr. Garang joined the Anya-Nya Movement in 1970, a liberation movement
in Southern Sudan, and after the 1972 Addis Ababa Peace Agreement, he
became a member of the Sudanese Armed Forces;
Whereas as Deputy Director of the Military Research Branch of the Sudanese Armed
Forces, Dr. Garang demonstrated his leadership abilities in the early
stages of his military career;
Whereas Dr. Garang studied economics at Grinnell College and received his master
of arts and doctorate degrees from Iowa State University;
Whereas Dr. Garang skillfully managed to consolidate his base after the
devastating split in the SPLM/A in 1991;
Whereas as the undisputed leader of the SPLM/A, Dr. Garang demonstrated
remarkable political and military leadership for over two decades;
Whereas Dr. Garang was a soldier, a scholar, a statesman, and a father, who had
a clear vision and unwavering love for his people and country;
Whereas Dr. Garang fought for 22 years to achieve a just peace for his people,
but only served 21 days as First Vice President of Sudan;
Whereas Dr. Garang fought not only for the people in Southern Sudan, but also
for the forgotten and long marginalized people of the Nuba Mountains,
Southern Blue Nile, Darfur, and other regions of the country;
Whereas Dr. Garang worked tirelessly to help build international support for a
new Sudan that would be multi-ethnic, multi-religious, democratic, and
united;
Whereas the new Sudan envisioned by Dr. Garang, if fully realized, would be a
country in which all Sudanese would live in peace without discrimination
and hatred, with equality, pride, and dignity;
Whereas Dr. Garang creatively and painstakingly managed the often conflicting
aspirations of his people for an independent Southern Sudan and his
vision for a new Sudan;
Whereas the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was signed by the Government of
Sudan and the SPLM/A on January 9, 2005, provides Southern Sudan the
right to self determination through a referendum after six years and
also offers the northern establishment in Sudan the opportunity to make
unity attractive during the interim period;
Whereas on July 8, 2005, millions of people throughout Sudan came to show their
support in Khartoum when Dr. Garang was sworn in as First Vice President
of Sudan; and
Whereas on July 30, 2005, Dr. John Garang died in a helicopter crash returning
to Southern Sudan from Uganda: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Garang de Mabior;
(2) reaffirms its commitment to a just and lasting peace in the
Republic of the Sudan;
(3) calls for full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement without any delay;
(4) strongly urges the people of Southern Sudan and its leaders to
continue to support Dr. Garang's vision for a new Sudan;
(5) strongly urges the full commitment of the United States, the
United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, and the League of
Arab States to support Dr. Garang's vision for a new Sudan by endorsing
democratic elections throughout Sudan in 2009, as provided by the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement;
(6) strongly supports the creation of a Dr. John Garang de Mabior
Institute for Agriculture, Peace, and Economic Development in Southern
Sudan; and
(7) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit an
enrolled copy of this resolution to the Secretary of State with a
request that the Secretary transmit it to Dr. Garang's widow, Rebecca
Garang, and to the Government of Southern Sudan, through the Office of
the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the District of
Columbia.
Attest:
Clerk.