[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6815-H6816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 DARFUR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, the world is in total 
crisis. The conflict and the devastation in the Darfur region of Sudan 
is abominable. I call on the President of the United States, who named 
Andrew Natsios at the U.N. to be the Special Envoy, that we put the 
full might and credibility of what we have left in our country behind 
the genocide that is taking place in Darfur.
  You have heard the numbers. Atrocities, government-sponsored 
terrorism, where the President of Sudan does not even acknowledge not 
only the U.N. forces, not only the African coalition that is there to 
help secure his people, but that genocide and the killings really 
exist.
  I was on one of the delegations that went to Sudan earlier this year 
in a bipartisan, bicameral visit. It was outrageous what we saw. Yet, 
today, as the heightened conflict, killings, this government in 
Khartoum is now dropping bombs on the civilian population in the 
refugee camps. Just think about it. They have run them out of their 
villages. They have burned their villages. They have raped the women. 
They killed the men and had the children in total chaos and asking for 
help.
  We are the most powerful Nation in the world today. We say that all 
the time. We must rise up to save the young children, the women, and 
the men for the sake of their own country.
  President al-Bashir has turned his head on it. The Janjaweed, men on 
horses who ride herd on those villages, kill people, innocent 
civilians, it could be you, but you are living in another country.
  I am asking tonight that we recognize the genocide, the horrific 
conditions that are going on in Darfur, which is in the southwest 
region of Sudan. Sudan is the largest country geographically in Africa. 
It has black Africans, African Arabs and others in the country.
  Khartoum in the northern part of the country is where the seat of 
government is. They just recently signed a

[[Page H6816]]

southwest agreement in Darfur that they might be better, and better 
take care of their people, which they are not doing.
  The security is deteriorating. There is a credible threat of famine 
that exists. More and more people are going hungry and starving, and 
the world relief food efforts are not able to get to the people who 
have been run off of their land.
  The cease-fire is in shambles. The U.N. peacekeeping authority must 
keep in, and President al-Bashir is not letting them in.
  Rise up. We need the Nations that surround the Sudan to speak up.
  Egypt President Mubarak, I have been a strong supporter of Egypt, and 
I still will be, but you must speak up. You must do more. You and I 
have talked about this. You must do more.
  Jordan, King Abdullah, you have got to get involved. You have got to 
get involved. People are dying as we speak.
  The region must rise up. How can you let this happen one more time in 
any part of the world? These are people who cultivate and live and grow 
food before this atrocity which now has outlasted any other, including 
Rwanda, in terms of its devastation and loss of life.
  The Chad-Sudan border that I visited on another occasion is 
overwhelmed by the people who are fleeing Sudan. Do we want to keep the 
chaos going? Do we not really have to sign up as God's people, one 
Nation under God and treat all of His people the same?
  We have the authority, we have the power, and we have the 
partnerships to bring this to a conclusion. So I join my CBC colleagues 
this evening and ask that America rise up, that the Middle East region 
speak out to help people who cannot help themselves.
  I want to thank Congressman Donald Payne who is the author of a 
resolution that we sponsored and passed, H.R. 3127. We passed it in 
April. We sent it to the Senate, where they sat on it. Now, I 
understand a Senator does not want to pass it because it was too 
strong. How can a resolution be strong, too strong when it is about the 
very subsistence of life for a people?
  So I call on all good men and women of the world, Darfur needs us to 
step up, the people, the children, the women, the men, the villages. We 
can do better.
  I ask that we stand and fight and speak and work, that the people in 
Darfur can have life and have it more abundantly.
  Mr. Speaker, today the African Union agreed to extend its mandate of 
peacekeeping forces in Darfur through the end of the year ensuring that 
international troops will remain in the Sudanese province for now. I 
rise today to support H.R. 3127, the Darfur Peace and Accountability 
Act. Current circumstances dictate that we develop tangible solutions, 
in order to provide hope to the people of Darfur. Darfurians are 
suffering extreme hardships. Every day is a struggle to survive for the 
Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in camps in Chad.
  The Sudanese conflict in Darfur is the longest running civil war in 
Africa, and there are no clear signs of a negotiated resolution. 
President Bashir has said time and time again that he will not approve 
U.N. forces to come in to his country.
  There are at least 2.61 million people affected by the conflict. 
Children no longer attend school, women face the prospects of rape, 
violence and death each day as they exist in refugee camps and venture 
outside the confines of camp for water and firewood. 70,000 people have 
already lost their lives. The number of displaced persons continues to 
expand and is estimated now at 1.9 million people.
  When I say the situation is worsening, the facts reinforce the 
reality. Even as I stand before you, the Sudanese government is engaged 
in aerial bombings directed at the refugees. The Janjaweed are 
directing increasing bold and violent attacks, massacres of refugees. 
The African Union has affirmed its intention to fulfill its mandate, 
but it is imperative that the transition to a United Nations force be 
made consistent with Security Council Resolution 1706.
  The world is watching as genocide engulfs victims in an African 
country. It appears that we did not learn the lessons that resulted 
from the genocide efforts that occurred in Rwanda. We vowed never to 
forget; yet, we are not doing enough to ensure the safety and security 
of innocent victims in Darfur.
  It is critical to place the matter of Darfur in context. The porous 
border between Sudan and Chad is expected to see a massive influx of 
about 20,000 refugees at the expiration of the AU mandate. A number of 
estimates suggest that this number will be closer to 50,000 people. The 
World Food Program has stated unequivocally that they are incapable of 
providing food and assistance whenever the current crisis deteriorates. 
The fact of the matter is the current conflict presents a moral 
imperative for the world and for people of conscience. If nothing is 
done, there will be negative impact in neighboring countries. Many of 
the neighboring countries will be overextended as their limited 
resources are stretched to cope with the needs of the refugees.
  It cannot be overemphasized that more leadership must occur in order 
to end the crimes against humanity occurring in Darfur. It is clear 
that the government of Khartoum thinks that the world, the U.N. and 
African and Muslim countries lack the moral resolve to tackle this 
issue. The countries of Egypt and Nigeria must exert their considerable 
influence to tackle this ever-widening problem. God and history will 
judge all of us harshly if we do not rescue the current victims of 
Janjaweed atrocities.
  Former Secretary of State Colin Powell declared that genocide was 
occurring in Darfur, Sudan. Even with a declaration of genocide, the 
suffering continues.
  We in the Congress have told the people of Darfur that help is on the 
way. The FY 07 request includes $108 million for refugee assistance, 
$60 million for conflict management in Sudan, $170 million for 
Peacekeeping Operations, PKO, which is $30 million less than the 
request, and approximately $70 million for Contributions to 
International Peacekeeping, CIPA. But these resources are far from 
enough.
  What is required is a moral imperative and clear, decisive mandates 
emanating from the UN that provide blue helmet soldiers on the ground 
with the authority to uphold peace.
  I have traveled to Darfur, and I am pained to say that the genocide 
occurring in Darfur is tantamount to ethnic cleansing by Arab Muslims 
against indigenous African Muslims. There is no escaping this reality.
  In closing, it is crucial that the following occur. We must support 
the Special Envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, former USAID Administrator 
appointed by President Bush. Nonetheless, there is still a strong need 
for passage of the Special Envoy Resolution, H. Res. 992. This 
resolution not only calls for the appointment of a Special Envoy but 
also for that individual to have a strong mandate, staff and backing of 
senior administration officials. Passage of this bill will show 
Congressional support for the Envoy. All 4 Co-chairs of the Sudan 
Caucus are co-sponsors.
  Finally, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, H.R. 3127, passed 
the House last spring. Another version of this bill, S. 1462, also 
passed the Senate. House and Senate staff met in April to agree on a 
compromise. The Senate had agreed to take up H.R. 3127. For months the 
bill languished. Last Monday, Senator Lugar introduced a new version of 
H.R. 3127. Procedurally and time-wise this presents several problems. 
It is crucial that Congress pass a bill that will address the plight of 
the victims of Sudan before we adjourn, and that, in turn, the 
president sign the legislation.
  We must send a clear and strong message to our suffering brothers and 
sisters in Darfur to hold strong.

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