[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 585 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 585

 Condemning the conflict in Sudan and supporting the people of Sudan, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 2023

   Mrs. Kim of California (for herself, Mr. Kildee, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. 
   Bilirakis, Mr. James, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. 
Lawler, Ms. Omar, Mr. Bera, Mr. Baird, Mr. Kean of New Jersey, and Mr. 
 Allred) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the 
    Judiciary, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the conflict in Sudan and supporting the people of Sudan, 
                        and for other purposes.

Whereas, on November 17, 1958, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Abboud of Sudan led 
        the country's first coup after independence, and the first successful 
        coup in post-independence Africa;
Whereas there have been more than 200 coup attempts across Africa since the 1958 
        coup in Sudan, including successful coups in Sudan in 1969, 1985, 1989, 
        2019, and 2021;
Whereas, in 1989, then Brigadier General Omar al Bashir of Sudan came to power 
        in a military coup;
Whereas, in 2019, the Sudanese people bravely stood up for democracy and the 
        right to choose their own future, and after months of staging protests, 
        President Omar al Bashir was overthrown by his own security chiefs, who 
        established a Transitional Military Council led by Lieutenant General 
        Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Mohamed 
        Hamdan Dagalo (also known as ``Hemedti'') of the Rapid Support Forces 
        (RSF);
Whereas, on June 3, 2019, after civilians formed a sit-in in front of the 
        military headquarters to demand that these generals, who had seized 
        power from Bashir under the guise of protecting the revolution, hand 
        power to a civilian government, the Transitional Military Council 
        ordered security forces to disperse the protesters by force, resulting 
        in the deaths of over 100 civilians;
Whereas, on August 17, 2019--

    (1) the Transitional Military Council, under domestic and international 
pressure, signed a constitutional document with the prodemocracy Forces for 
Freedom and Change (FFC), a broad coalition of political parties and civic 
groups representing the protest movement that had pushed for the end of the 
Bashir regime and a transition to democracy under civilian rule; and

    (2) a transitional government was formed that allowed the military 
junta leaders to remain in government in a partnership with new civilian 
authorities nominated by the FFC, including Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok 
acting as head of government, for a civilian-led transitional period to a 
democracy under civilian rule;

Whereas, on October 25, 2021, Lieutenant General Burhan, with the support of 
        Hemedti seized control of the civilian-led transitional Government of 
        Sudan through a coup, deployed the military to the streets of Khartoum 
        and Omdurman, shut down the internet in Sudan, and detained Prime 
        Minister Hamdok and civilian officials;
Whereas the Sudanese people condemned the coup and launched a campaign of 
        peaceful civil disobedience, continuing the protests for democracy that 
        began in late 2018, and reflecting a historic tradition of non-violent 
        protests led by previous generations in Sudan against previous military 
        regime;
Whereas, in response to public calls for a transition to democracy under 
        civilian rule after October 25, 2021, Sudanese security forces 
        arbitrarily detained civilians and used excessive and lethal force 
        against peaceful protesters that resulted in civilian deaths across the 
        country;
Whereas the African Union Peace and Security Council condemned the coup, 
        rejected the unconstitutional change of government, and on October 27, 
        2021, suspended Sudan from the Council until the civilian-led 
        transitional government is restored;
Whereas the United States condemned the coup and called for the full and 
        immediate restoration of the transition to a democratic government under 
        civilian rule;
Whereas, on November 21, 2021, military leaders announced an agreement to 
        reinstate Abdalla Hamdok as Prime Minister of Sudan, but Hamdok resigned 
        in January after he was unable to constitute a civilian-led transition 
        government;
Whereas, on December 5, 2022, the Sudanese military announced a transition 
        framework with a group of FFC leaders and some other Sudanese civilian 
        leaders, and in such agreement promised to relinquish control of the 
        government to civilian leaders;
Whereas, in March 2023, the signatories of the Framework Political Agreement 
        announced that they would sign a final agreement to return the Sudanese 
        Government to civilian rule on April 1, 2023, and form a new 
        transitional government, but the April 1 deadline passed without 
        agreement as security sector reform negotiations stalled as the timeline 
        and manner for integrating the RSF into the SAF raised tensions between 
        the security forces;
Whereas, on Saturday, April 15, 2023, fighting broke out in Sudan between the 
        SAF under the leadership of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the 
        paramilitary RSF under the leadership of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo 
        and has escalated into a deadly nationwide conflict;
Whereas this conflict has spread from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to the 
        Darfur region and other parts of Sudan, leading to thousands of 
        civilians killed and injured, and a massive displacement and 
        humanitarian crisis in East Africa;
Whereas this conflict has severely disrupted the delivery of humanitarian 
        assistance to the people of Sudan, where one-third of all people, nearly 
        16,000,000, required humanitarian assistance prior to the conflict and 
        24,700,000, half of the population, are now in need of humanitarian 
        assistance;
Whereas more than 2,700,000 people have been displaced since the conflict began, 
        including over 2,100,000 people displaced internally and over 400,000 
        who have crossed into neighboring countries including Chad, Egypt, South 
        Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic;
Whereas, during this conflict, combatants have used explosive weapons in 
        populated areas, including tanks, artillery, rockets, and air-delivered 
        munitions, that frequently result in indiscriminate attacks in violation 
        of international humanitarian law;
Whereas there have been horrifying documented accounts of sexual violence 
        perpetrated by armed men during the conflict, most of which have been 
        attributed to members of the paramilitary RSF;
Whereas combatants have attacked humanitarian premises and health facilities, 
        and looted humanitarian supplies, including at least 17,000 metric tons 
        of food aid;
Whereas, according to the World Food Programme, the number of individuals 
        acutely food insecure is expected to rise to 19,000,000;
Whereas tens of thousands of those displaced by the conflict are women and girls 
        facing distinct risks, and of the more than 1,100,000 Sudanese women 
        estimated to be pregnant, 29,000 are expected to give birth in the next 
        month and will need maternal and newborn health services, and at least 
        4,300 are believed to be in need of emergency obstetric care and at risk 
        of death, according to the United Nations Population Fund;
Whereas there have been documented reports of grave violations against children, 
        including killing and maiming, recruitment of children into armed groups 
        and armed forces, and sexual violence and exploitation perpetrated 
        against children;
Whereas, on April 18, 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that an 
        American diplomatic convoy was attacked, but no one was harmed;
Whereas, on April 23, 2023, the United States suspended operations at its 
        embassy in Sudan and evacuated embassy personnel from the country;
Whereas, on April 23, 2023, the United States Agency for International 
        Development activated a Disaster Assistance Response Team in a direct 
        effort to support the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the 
        Sudanese people;
Whereas the fighting has continued despite the multiple cease-fire 
        announcements, and the warring parties have failed to adhere to a 
        Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan signed by 
        the warring parties on May 11, 2023, that was mediated by the United 
        States and Saudi Arabia;
Whereas prodemocracy neighborhood Resistance Committees, medical and 
        professional organizations, and other civic volunteers in Sudan are 
        helping to facilitate the humanitarian response to the crisis and 
        providing vital assistance to civilians caught in the fighting;
Whereas, 20 years after the start of the genocide in Darfur, there has not been 
        meaningful accountability for atrocities committed, and there are 
        disturbing reports of agitators in the conflict trying to mobilize 
        communities in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan along ethnic lines;
Whereas, on June 14, 2023, Khamis Abdallah Abbakar, the Governor of West Darfur, 
        was found tortured and killed after he publicly described the RSF's 
        actions in Darfur as ``genocide'';
Whereas the United Nations has said that ``compelling eyewitness accounts 
        attribute'' Khamis Abdallah Abbakar's killing to ``Arab militias and the 
        RSF'';
Whereas the Sudanese people have continued to call for an end to this conflict 
        and demand transition to a democratic government under civilian rule;
Whereas, on May 4, 2023, President Biden announced that it ``is policy of the 
        United States to support a transition to democracy and civilian 
        transitional government in Sudan, to defend such a transitional 
        government from those who would prevent its initial formation through 
        violence and other methods, and, once formed, to protect it from those 
        who would undermine it''; and
Whereas, on June 1, 2023, the Biden administration announced new economic 
        sanctions and visa restrictions against actors perpetuating the violence 
        in Sudan to ``hold accountable those responsible for undermining the 
        peace, security, and stability of Sudan'', reiterating that the United 
        States will continue to support the Sudanese people's ``rightful demand 
        for a transition to democracy'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) calls on all combatants in the conflict to agree to an 
        immediate cease-fire;
            (2) calls on all combatants to immediately adhere to new 
        and previously signed cease-fire agreements;
            (3) condemns the outbreak of armed conflict and departure 
        from the transition to a democratic government under civilian 
        rule;
            (4) urges the SAF and RSF to adhere to the Declaration of 
        Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan;
            (5) condemns attacks against civilians and diplomatic 
        personnel, attacks on civilian objects, including schools and 
        hospitals, sexual violence, and other grave human rights 
        abuses;
            (6) recognizes efforts by the United States, Saudi Arabia, 
        and other international actors to facilitate a cease-fire, and 
        calls for greater participation by Sudanese civil society 
        actors in current and future negotiations;
            (7) recognizes efforts by the African Union to seek a 
        resolution of the conflict in Sudan;
            (8) calls on the concerned regional and international 
        parties to unify their efforts to secure a cease-fire, 
        establish a monitoring mechanism with civilian participation, 
        improve humanitarian access and scale up assistance, and secure 
        more-inclusive negotiations aimed at forming a democratic 
        government under civilian rule in Sudan;
            (9) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, and other Federal Government agencies to urgently 
        resource and scale up the delivery of humanitarian assistance 
        to Sudan and the region commensurate with the growing level of 
        need and take steps to coordinate with local and international 
        humanitarian actors, nonprofits, and medical professionals to 
        respond to the crisis;
            (10) calls on the Secretary of State and the Administrator 
        of the United States Agency for International Development to 
        ensure that humanitarian response and recovery efforts directly 
        support local actors in Sudan to ensure maximum impact and 
        sustainability of these efforts, and ensure that humanitarian 
        aid does not fall into the hands of combatants;
            (11) calls upon the Secretary of State and the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development to prioritize the needs of children affected by the 
        conflict, including those within Sudan and those who have fled 
        across borders, by providing protection services, education in 
        emergencies and continued learning opportunities, and critical 
        mental health and psychosocial support services for children 
        and their family members;
            (12) calls on neighboring countries to Sudan to provide 
        refuge to those seeking safety from the conflict, to facilitate 
        the delivery of humanitarian aid across borders, and to refrain 
        from refoulement of displaced Sudanese back to Sudan;
            (13) affirms its commitment to supporting a transition to 
        civilian rule and a democratically elected government in Sudan;
            (14) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and 
        the Secretary of the Treasury to use their authority under 
        Executive Order 14098 of May 4, 2023, to issue sanctions 
        against persons and additional entities whose actions threaten 
        the peace, security, or stability of Sudan, obstruct, 
        undermine, delay, or impede Sudan's transition to democracy, 
        and those who have committed serious human rights violations in 
        Sudan, including those determined to have command 
        responsibility for forces that commit gross human rights 
        abuses, and elements associated with the former Islamist regime 
        who have undermined the democratic transition, manipulated the 
        conflict, and threatened civilians and United Nations 
        officials;
            (15) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and 
        the Secretary of the Treasury to ensure that sanctions include 
        comprehensive safeguards to protect humanitarian activities, 
        provision of basic services and peacebuilding activities as 
        delivered by humanitarian actors, including United Nations 
        agencies and non-governmental organizations, and to take steps 
        to mitigate financial sector derisking as a result of Executive 
        Order 14098;
            (16) calls on the President and the Secretary of State to 
        develop a strategy to ensure meaningful civilian engagement in 
        all aspects of negotiations to end the conflict, facilitate 
        humanitarian assistance, and facilitate a new democratic 
        government under civilian rule;
            (17) calls on the President, the Secretary of State, the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, and the United States Ambassador to the United 
        Nations to ensure that resources are provided for the 
        monitoring and documentation of violations of international 
        humanitarian law and international human rights law during the 
        conflict to ensure future accountability;
            (18) recognizes the brave efforts by prodemocracy 
        neighborhood Resistance Committees, medical and professional 
        organizations in Sudan to respond to the growing humanitarian 
        crisis and assist communities in need;
            (19) recognizes the United States armed forces, allied 
        armed forces, and private organizations who have worked to 
        safely evacuate United States embassy personnel and citizens 
        from Sudan;
            (20) acknowledges that a sustainable political resolution 
        to the crisis in Sudan requires a process led by Sudanese 
        civilians and United States leadership to coordinate the 
        efforts of regional actors; and
            (21) calls on the President to appoint a Presidential 
        Special Envoy to Sudan to ensure direct, sustained and high-
        level diplomatic engagement with international and regional 
        actors, to respond to the conflict, improve interagency 
        coordination of United States-Sudan policy implementation, and 
        to facilitate the establishment of a democracy under civilian 
        rule.
                                 <all>