[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 118 (Thursday, September 28, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H8433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   DISAPPOINTING POLICIES OF CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TOWARD SUDAN AND 
                                 AFRICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Quinn). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my profound 
disappointment with the Clinton administration's policies towards 
Sudan, and Africa in general. To be sure, there are many good people 
who have tried to implement worthwhile and thoughtful policies for 
Africa during the tenure of this administration. The problem with this 
administration is, more often than not, the voices that should be heard 
have not carried the day.
  My complete statement will provide more details, but let me briefly 
outline what I have been talking about. I have been to Sudan three 
times and followed the horrible situation there very closely.
  The Clinton administration has much to answer for. Over 2 million 
people have died in Sudan; yet President Clinton never expended the 
energy on Sudan to bring about a lasting peace as he has in Northern 
Ireland and the Middle East.
  The administration knew about the existence of slavery in Sudan since 
at least 1993. Yet, the administration was slow to act and slow to take 
tough action with Sudan.
  The administration failed to prevent the listing of PetroChina, a 
subsidiary of the Chinese National Petroleum Company, on the New York 
Stock Exchange.
  The administration's record on preventing one of Sudan's primary 
exports, gum arabic, has been spotty. An embargo on gum arabic has been 
in effect by an Executive Order since November of 1997, but just this 
year the administration allowed an exemption of a shipment of gum 
arabic from Sudan. This Congress may be passing something that the 
administration has not spoken out against with regard to gum arabic.
  In the past few months, the government of Sudan has repeatedly bombed 
the United Nations relief operations and other civilian targets. The 
administration has issued statements. But at this point, after all of 
the Sudanese Government's atrocities, words are not enough to address 
the problem in Khartoum.
  Two years ago, President Clinton hailed what he called an African 
renaissance. But a recent article in the Los Angeles Times states that 
a recent national intelligence estimate says that ``Africa faces a 
bleaker future than at any time in the past century.''
  Today's Roll Call shows pictures of some of the children who had 
their arms and legs and ears cut off by rebels in Sierra Leone. This 
administration has made a mess of the situation in Sierra Leone and has 
done nothing but spin its wheels there. Yet again, it is an African 
policy that is long on rhetoric and short on action.
  President Clinton has traveled more than almost any other President. 
He has had first-hand experience throughout Africa, more experience and 
actual time in Africa than any other President. But all this time there 
only amounted to photo opportunities and handshakes, amounting to 
substance-free public relations.
  Because of his time in Africa, he should have done much more. It is 
not too late for this administration to do more for Africa. The death, 
the suffering, the destruction that has occurred over the past 8 years 
in Sudan and Sierra Leone and Rwanda and Burundi and other places need 
more than a touch-down by Air Force One.

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