[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 130 (Monday, October 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN SUDAN ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 6, 2004

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5061 and urge 
all members to vote for this important legislation.
  I would like to thank Representative Tom Tancredo for introducing 
this important legislation. I would also like to thank Chairman Hyde 
and Congressman Lantos and their staffs for moving this legislation 
swiftly through committee.
  This legislation could not be more timely. Stories and pictures of 
horrific abuse and suffering in the Darfur region of Sudan are now on 
our nightly news. Newspapers are running daily stories. I visited Sudan 
in July and witnessed with my own eyes the horrific conditions.
  The world has now awakened to this nightmare and we must do 
everything in our power to try to stop it.
  We must not forget that the conflict in Darfur has been occurring for 
the last year and a half but that there also has been an ongoing war 
for the last 20 years between the Government of Sudan and the mostly 
Christian South.
  Millions of lives have been lost. Millions more are shattered and 
scarred forever.
  Sudan has suffered from war crimes and unspeakable human rights 
abuses. One country, one group of people, should not have to endure so 
much suffering.
  Sudan is not alone. Africa has seen enormous suffering this past 
decade from the butchery that took place in Sierra Leone to the 
genocide in Rwanda. We must learn from the past, learn from the 
mistakes of our own inaction, and mobilize to try to save lives.
  Some 50,000 people are already dead in Darfur and more than a million 
more are at risk. The world must act now.
  The United States took a bold move under the leadership of Secretary 
of State Powell by calling what is occurring in Sudan what it is--a 
genocide. Unfortunately the international community has been slow to 
respond.
  H.R. 5061 is based on the fact that genocide is now occurring in 
Darfur and that the Government of Sudan is complicit in this genocide. 
Significant pressure must be placed on the Government of Sudan to both 
end the genocide and finalize a comprehensive peace agreement with the 
South.
  Only then will the innocent civilians, who have suffered for so long, 
be able to begin rebuilding their lives.
  This bill immediately imposes sanctions on the Government of Sudan. I 
think this is sound policy. We are dealing with a government that is 
committing genocide against its own people, therefore we need to use 
every possible tool to apply pressure so that it will stop.
  H.R. 5061 also outlines multilateral actions to press U.N. countries 
to apply additional pressure on Sudan, and most importantly provides 
much-needed humanitarian aid to Darfur and humanitarian and development 
aid to alleviate suffering in the South.
  We are beyond the point of merely warning the Government of Sudan 
with punitive measures. We must now take action.
  The world is watching and rogue regimes in other nations who have the 
ability to do this to their own people are watching how we respond. Our 
response to genocide must be firm.
  The world will look back on Darfur in 10 years and know that the 
United States stood firm and the United States stood with the people of 
Darfur.
  I call on every member of Congress to vote in favor of this important 
legislation. We must send a strong message to the Government of Sudan 
that the United States will not sit by while they commit genocide.

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