[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H6740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
A PLEA FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE PEOPLE OF DARFUR
(Mr. OLVER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to plead for the survival of the
people of Darfur. Despite a peace agreement signed in May and the U.N.
Security Council's approval for a peacekeeping force of 20,000 last
month, Darfur is descending into chaos.
Twelve years ago the world stood by as ethnic war erupted in nearby
Rwanda. One hundred days later, 800,000 bodies, hacked to death by
machetes, had piled up in the streets and rivers. Without swift
intervention, Darfur may soon erupt into a scene as deadly. Today's
poorly trained and equipped African Union Force can only watch the
chaos unfold. When they leave in a week, they must be replaced by a
U.N. force that can protect the Darfuri people from slaughter.
Sudan must allow the U.N. peacekeepers to end the government-
sponsored genocide. President Bush must decisively lead the
international community for this effort to succeed. The U.N. force must
have the training, the equipment and the mandate to stop the slaughter
and punish the slaughterers. The world must not deploy another force
that will simply bear witness to the slaughter of innocents.
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