[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 24 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 24

  Condemning the hostilities in Sudan and standing with the people of 
    Sudan in their calls for peace and their democratic aspirations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 19, 2023

    Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Risch) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning the hostilities in Sudan and standing with the people of 
    Sudan in their calls for peace and their democratic aspirations.

Whereas, on April 15, 2023, hostilities broke out in Sudan between the Rapid 
        Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force formed from the Janjaweed 
        militia that committed acts of genocide in Darfur since 2003, and the 
        Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which like the RSF has a history of 
        committing atrocities both in Sudan's civil wars and against pro-
        democracy protestors from 2019-2022;
Whereas, according to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on 
        April 17, 2023, just days following the outbreak of fighting, the 
        humanitarian situation in Sudan was ``already precarious and is now 
        catastrophic'';
Whereas, on April 23, 2023, the United States temporarily suspended operations 
        at its embassy in Khartoum and evacuated embassy personnel from the 
        country;
Whereas the war has created the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 
        7,000,000 people, including 3,000,000 children, displaced since the war 
        began, and over half of the population in Sudan needs humanitarian 
        assistance;
Whereas widespread rape and sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war, 
        and over 4,200,000 women and girls in Sudan are at risk for sexual 
        violence according to the United Nations;
Whereas Sudan was identified by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's 
        Early Warning Project as one of the top ten countries at risk for new 
        mass killings in its 2022-2023 report, and the Museum warned in June 
        2023 about the dire risk of genocide in Darfur;
Whereas Secretary of State Blinken issued an atrocities determination for Sudan 
        on December 6, 2023, finding that the SAF and RSF have committed war 
        crimes in Sudan, and that the RSF and allied militias have committed 
        crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing;
Whereas impunity for violations of international humanitarian law has 
        characterized the conflict in Sudan;
Whereas the United States and Saudi Arabia have engaged in multiple rounds of 
        ``emergency diplomacy'' in Jeddah since May, during which the parties to 
        the conflict have repeatedly made confidence-building, ceasefire, and 
        humanitarian commitments that were immediately violated;
Whereas, in October 2023, the United National Human Rights Council adopted a 
        resolution establishing an independent Fact-Finding Mission with a 
        mandate to investigate abuses committed in the context of the war in 
        Sudan;
Whereas leadership in neither the SAF or RSF represent the people of Sudan nor 
        have a legitimate claim to leadership of the country, and there is no 
        military solution to the political situation in Sudan;
Whereas reports indicate some international actors have taken actions that 
        constitute repeated violations of the existing United Nations arms 
        embargo for Darfur; and
Whereas the outbreak of hostilities has destabilized Sudan, and represents a 
        threat to regional stability more broadly: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) condemns the hostilities in Sudan since April 15, 2023, 
        the brazen and brutal attacks on civilians, including systemic 
        use of rape as a weapon of war, and the widespread destruction 
        of civilian residences, businesses, and infrastructure;
            (2) stands with the people of Sudan in their calls for 
        peace and their democratic aspirations;
            (3) calls for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese 
        Armed Forces (SAF) to--
                    (A) permanently cease hostilities;
                    (B) stop attacks on civilians;
                    (C) remove all roadblocks and checkpoints, and 
                allow for the safe passage of civilians and the 
                unfettered delivery of humanitarian assistance; and
                    (D) comply with international humanitarian law and 
                cease all atrocities against civilians;
            (4) calls on the President to name an experienced, high 
        level United States Special Envoy for Sudan, that reports 
        directly to the President or the Secretary of State, to 
        coordinate a comprehensive United States policy and diplomatic 
        efforts and to work with international partners to address the 
        complex crisis in Sudan;
            (5) calls on the Secretary of State to--
                    (A) regularly review and update the atrocities 
                determination for Sudan, to include whether atrocities 
                committed constitute genocide;
                    (B) provide continued assistance to organizations 
                documenting violations of international humanitarian 
                law, and to share, as appropriate, information with 
                international bodies investigating atrocities, 
                including war crimes and crimes against humanity;
                    (C) support enhanced end use monitoring of weapons 
                sold by the United States to determine if United States 
                defense articles, defense services, or any other type 
                of security sector assistance have been diverted to the 
                SAF and RSF;
                    (D) coordinate with--
                            (i) the Administrator of the United States 
                        Agency for International Development on efforts 
                        to establish and maintain humanitarian access, 
                        and to support an inclusive, civilian-led 
                        political dialogue;
                            (ii) the Department of the Treasury to 
                        develop a comprehensive strategy utilizing 
                        existing sanctions authorities applicable to 
                        Sudan, with priority given to the designation 
                        of the leadership in the RSF and SAF, and to 
                        actors which supply, or facilitate the supply 
                        of arms and materiel to belligerents, for 
                        targeted sanctions; and
                            (iii) the United States Permanent 
                        Representative to the United Nations to ensure 
                        the United Nations Security Council reports 
                        violations of the Darfur arms embargo and works 
                        to prioritize efforts to protect civilians, and 
                        to pursue efforts to establish a credible 
                        mechanism for accountability for atrocities, 
                        including any that may constitute genocide, war 
                        crimes, or crimes against humanity; and
                    (E) work, through a high level United States 
                Special Envoy for Sudan, with partners to engage 
                members of the international community to join United 
                States efforts to end the conflict and promote 
                accountability, including by setting clear criteria for 
                establishing a more inclusive alternative to the Jeddah 
                talks; and
            (6) calls on international allies and partners, 
        particularly neighboring countries and partners in the Gulf 
        Cooperation Council and others with direct interests in the 
        Sudan conflict, to--
                    (A) join United States efforts to--
                            (i) pressure the parties to cease 
                        hostilities;
                            (ii) explore options to protect civilians 
                        from mass atrocities;
                            (iii) empower Sudanese civilians to 
                        establish a path toward a peaceful democratic 
                        transition;
                            (iv) support the establishment of credible 
                        mechanisms for accountability;
                            (v) impose targeted sanctions on SAF and 
                        RSF members who are responsible for violations 
                        of international humanitarian law, corruption, 
                        and undermining Sudan's transition to 
                        democracy, and actors who supply or facilitate 
                        the supply of arms and materiel to either 
                        party;
                            (vi) take steps, as appropriate, including 
                        through imposition of sanctions, to pressure 
                        belligerents to return to the rule of law as 
                        set forth by the transitional constitution and 
                        immediately cease violations of existing United 
                        Nations arms embargoes and to deter any effort 
                        by external parties to support parties 
                        financially or with arms and materiel; and
                            (vii) provide robust in-kind and financial 
                        contributions to humanitarian assistance 
                        efforts; and
                    (B) suspend Sudan's participation in all regional 
                and multilateral organizations until a civilian-led 
                government is established.
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