[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 92 (Friday, July 14, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7562-S7563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 531--TO URGE THE PRESIDENT TO APPOINT A PRESIDENTIAL 
                        SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SUDAN

  Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. Burns, Mr. Reid, Mr. Bond, Mrs. 
Murray, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Talent, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Snowe, 
and Ms. Cantwell) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 531

       Whereas, on July 22, 2004, the Senate and House of 
     Representatives declared that the atrocities occurring in the 
     Darfur region of Sudan are genocide;
       Whereas, on September 9, 2004, Secretary of State Colin L. 
     Powell stated before the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
     the Senate, ``When we reviewed the evidence compiled by our 
     team, along with other information available to the State 
     Department, we concluded that genocide has been committed in 
     Darfur and that the Government of Sudan and the [Janjaweed] 
     bear responsibility--and genocide may still be occurring.'';
       Whereas, on September 21, 2004, in an address before the 
     United Nations General Assembly, President George W. Bush 
     affirmed the finding of Secretary of State Powell and stated, 
     ``At this hour, the world is witnessing terrible suffering 
     and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, crimes my 
     government has concluded are genocide.'';
       Whereas various nongovernmental organizations have 
     estimated that up to 400,000 people have died in Darfur from 
     combat, hunger, and disease since February 2003;
       Whereas prominent human rights groups, think tanks, and 
     members of Congress have called for the appointment of a 
     Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan;
       Whereas Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, who had 
     acted as the lead negotiator and coordinator for the United 
     States Government toward Darfur, resigned from that position 
     on June 19, 2006;
       Whereas Ambassador Zoellick was instrumental in securing 
     the peace agreement among the Government of Sudan and rebel

[[Page S7563]]

     factions on May 5, 2006, and was described by Secretary of 
     State Condoleezza Rice as ``indispensable in our efforts to 
     bring peace to Sudan and to end the violence in Darfur'';
       Whereas other United States Government officials deeply 
     involved in Darfur are departing public service or moving to 
     new positions, including White House Policy Advisor Michael 
     Gerson, National Security Council Senior Director for African 
     Affairs Cindy Courville, and the State Department Special 
     Representative to Sudan Michael Ranneberger; and
       Whereas the crisis in Darfur, and generally Sudan, 
     continues to command urgent attention due to the ongoing 
     displacement of roughly 2,500,000 people, the continuing 
     instability in the region, the fragility of the May 5, 2006, 
     peace accord, the spread of the conflict to neighboring Chad, 
     the lack of security that prevents multilateral organizations 
     and nongovernmental organizations from providing assistance 
     to the most vulnerable displaced persons of Darfur, the 
     reluctance by the Government of Sudan to allow a robust 
     United Nations presence in that country, and the difficulties 
     involved in assisting the African Union Mission in Sudan and 
     transitioning that body into a United Nations force: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate commends the efforts of former Deputy 
     Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in Darfur and the 
     contributions of White House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson, 
     Ambassador Cindy Courville, and Ambassador Michael 
     Ranneberger; and
       (2) it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (A) the United States urgently needs an individual of 
     Ambassadorial rank and high stature to devote exclusive 
     attention to Darfur and related issues concerning peace and 
     stability in Sudan;
       (B) such individual should formulate and coordinate policy, 
     lead negotiations, engage with parties to the conflict to 
     monitor their compliance with the terms and deadlines of the 
     May 5, 2006, Darfur Peace Agreement, gather resources from 
     donors, and ensure that this crisis retains high visibility 
     and remains a top priority for the United States Government 
     until it is substantially resolved; and
       (C) the President should, at the earliest date possible, 
     appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan with the rank 
     of Ambassador and should provide not less than $250,000, to 
     support the Presidential Special Envoy, in accordance with 
     Senate Amendment 3719 to H.R. 4939 of the 109th Congress, as 
     agreed to in the Senate on May 3, 2006.

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