Whereas the current conflict stems from a number of
ethnic, religious, geographic, environmental, and political factors, and
involves numerous factions competing for scarce resources, political power,
civil rights, and in some instances, their own survival;
Whereas the terrible and bloody conflict in Darfur has
persisted since at least before February 2003, when the Sudan Liberation Army
and the Justice and Equality Movement arose in opposition to the National
Congress Party;
Whereas the Sudanese Government responded with a
relentless campaign of violence in which over 450,000 men, women, and children
have been killed, millions displaced, and hundreds of thousands forced to flee
their homes amidst brutal murder, rape, torture, and unconscionable
oppression;
Whereas after many years of activism from activists,
grassroots organizers, and religious and political figures from around the
world, many observers, including then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well
as numerous international human rights organizations, referred to the ongoing
conflict as genocide, which requires certain specific interventions;
Whereas the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an
independent body whose mission is to try individuals for crimes within its
jurisdiction without the need for a special mandate from the United
Nations;
Whereas the situation in Darfur was referred to the ICC by
the United Nations Security Council;
Whereas Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir has been the President
of the Republic of the Sudan since his appointment by the Revolutionary Command
Council for National Salvation (RCC–NS) on October 16, 1993, and has been
elected as such successively since April 1, 1996;
Whereas President al-Bashir stands accused of war crimes
and crimes against humanity;
Whereas this is the first warrant of arrest ever issued
for a sitting Head of State by the ICC;
Whereas although the ICC concluded that there was not
enough evidence to issue a warrant for President al-Bashir’s arrest for the
crime of genocide, the warrant can later be amended to include genocide in the
event that the prosecution submits sufficient evidence of President al-Bashir’s
role in the genocide in Darfur; and
Whereas President al-Bashir’s immediate response to the
arrest warrant was to expel humanitarian aid agencies from the region, further
threatening the lives of over 1,100,000 million people who are at grave risk of
starvation and disease: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)commends the International Criminal Court
for issuing an arrest warrant for President of the Republic of the Sudan Omar
Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir on crimes against humanity and war crimes;
(2)condemns the
expulsion of international aid agencies, which further threatens the lives of
over 1,100,000 people who depend on these organizations for food, water, health
care, and safety;
(3)condemns the
Sudanese Government for continuing an active campaign of repression and
needless violence against its own people;
(4)calls upon the
international community to persist in its efforts to bring President al-Bashir
to justice and to pressure the Sudanese regime to cease its campaign of
violence;
(5)expresses the hope
that the arrest warrant and subsequent efforts, which must be accompanied by
other actions and aid from the international community, will play a significant
role in achieving and maintaining stability and peace in the region;
(6)expresses its
belief that a multifaceted approach is needed to successfully end genocide and
the repression of human rights in Darfur, including positive social, economic,
and political developments in the region; and
(7)applauds the
United States Government’s commitment to vigorous diplomacy as well as
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s stated commitment to work towards a
solution, and encourages President Barack Obama to appoint a full-time envoy to
the region to engage in diplomatic efforts.