[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 96 (Friday, July 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1499]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF A NATIONAL WEEKEND OF PRAYER AND 
                      REFLECTION FOR DARFUR, SUDAN

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                               speech of

                           HON. GIL GUTKNECHT

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2005

  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a National 
Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur, Sudan and in support of H. 
Res. 333.
  Last July, Congress passed legislation recognizing the Darfur 
genocide. In September 2004, Secretary of State Colin Powell testified 
to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that genocide had been 
committed in Darfur. And shortly following, President George W. Bush 
told the United Nations General Assembly that ``the world is witnessing 
terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, 
crimes my government has concluded are genocide.''
  It has been estimated that perhaps as many as 400,000 people have 
died from violence, hunger and disease since conflict began in Darfur 
in 2003, and that more than 2 million people have lost their homes and 
are now living in refugee camps in Darfur and Chad.
  Congress has approved hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian 
aid and other assistance for Darfur. The United States remains the 
largest contributor of relief aid to Sudan, providing logistical 
support for African Union troops in Darfur and taking the lead in 
efforts to resolve Sudan's long-running north-south civil war.
  I recently attended a Sudanese celebration in Rochester, Minnesota, 
celebrating the signing of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Accord, signed 
on January 9, 2005 in Nairobi. The Sudanese recognize the cost of 
freedom and will continue to strive for peace in the Darfur region.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this important 
legislation and cause.

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