[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 24 (Thursday, February 8, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1808-S1809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 76--CALLING ON THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND THE 
  INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO PROMPTLY DEVELOP, FUND, AND IMPLEMENT A 
    COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL STRATEGY IN AFRICA TO PROTECT CIVILIANS, 
 FACILITATE HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS, CONTAIN AND REDUCE VIOLENCE, AND 
  CONTRIBUTE TO CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE IN EASTERN CHAD, AND 
              CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, AND DARFUR, SUDAN

  Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. Sununu, and Mr. Levin) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations.

                               S. Res. 76

       Whereas armed groups have been moving freely between Sudan, 
     Chad, and the Central African Republic, committing murder and 
     engaging in banditry, forced recruitment of soldiers, and 
     gender-based violence;
       Whereas these and other crimes are contributing to 
     insecurity and instability throughout the region, 
     exacerbating the humanitarian crises in these countries and 
     obstructing efforts to end violence in the Darfur region of 
     Sudan and adjacent areas;
       Whereas on January 5, 2007, the United Nations High 
     Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that cross-border 
     attacks by alleged Arab militias from Sudan and related 
     intercommunal ethnic hostilities in eastern Chad had resulted 
     in the displacement of an estimated 20,000 people from Chad 
     during the previous 2 weeks and posed a direct threat to 
     camps housing refugees from Sudan;
       Whereas these new internally displaced Chadians have 
     strained the resources of 12 UNHCR-run camps in eastern Chad 
     that are already serving more than 100,000 internally 
     displaced Chadians and 230,000 refugees from Darfur and 
     providing humanitarian support and protection to more than 
     46,000 refugees from the Central African Republic in southern 
     Chad;
       Whereas Chadian gendarmes responsible for providing 
     security in and around the 12 UNHCR-run camps in eastern Chad 
     are too few in number, too poorly equipped, and too besieged 
     by Chadian rebel actions to carry out critical protection 
     efforts sufficiently;
       Whereas on January 16, 2007, the United Nations' 
     Humanitarian Coordinator for the Central African Republic 
     reported that waves of violence across the north have left 
     more than 1,000,000 people in need of humanitarian 
     assistance, including 150,000 who are internally displaced, 
     while some 80,000 have fled to neighboring Chad or Cameroon;
       Whereas in a Presidential Statement issued on January 16, 
     2007 (S/PRST/2007/2), the United Nations Security Council 
     reiterated its ``concern about the continuing instability 
     along the borders between the Sudan, Chad and the Central 
     African Republic and about the threat which this poses to the 
     safety of the civilian population and the conduct of 
     humanitarian operations'' and requested ``that the Secretary-
     General deploy as soon as possible an advance mission to Chad 
     and the Central African Republic, in consultation with their 
     Governments'';

[[Page S1809]]

       Whereas the Presidential Statement acknowledged ``the 
     position taken by the Central African and Chadian authorities 
     in favor in principle of such a presence and looks forward to 
     their continued engagement in preparing for it'';
       Whereas a December 22, 2006, report of the United Nations 
     Secretary-General (S/2006/1019) expressed a need to address 
     the rapidly deteriorating security situation of Sudan, Chad, 
     and the Central African Republic and to protect civilians in 
     the border areas of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African 
     Republic and recommended a robust mission that ``would, among 
     other tasks: facilitate the political process; protect 
     civilians; monitor the human rights situation; and strengthen 
     the local judicial, police and correctional system'';
       Whereas the December 22, 2006, report went on to recommend 
     that the force also be mandated and equipped to deter attacks 
     by armed groups and react preemptively to protect civilians, 
     including refugees and internally displaced persons, with 
     rapid reaction capabilities;
       Whereas on August 30, 2006, the United Nations Security 
     Council passed Security Council Resolution 1706 (2006), 
     authorizing a multidimensional presence consisting of 
     political, humanitarian, military and civilian police liaison 
     officers in key locations in Chad, including in the 
     internally displaced persons and refugee camps and, if 
     necessary, in the Central African Republic;
       Whereas continuing hostilities will undermine efforts to 
     bring security to the Darfur region of Sudan, dangerously 
     destabilize volatile political and humanitarian situations in 
     Chad and the Central African Republic, and potentially 
     disrupt progress towards peace in southern Sudan;
       Whereas a December 2006 United Nations assessment mission 
     report outlined possibilities for a mission in Chad, 
     including a force large enough to monitor the border, deter 
     attacks, and provide civilian protection;
       Whereas the United Nations Security Council has requested 
     proposals for a United Nations force in Chad and the Central 
     African Republic to help protect and provide humanitarian 
     assistance to tens of thousands of civilians affected by the 
     conflict that began in Darfur; and
       Whereas a technical assessment mission was dispatched in 
     January 2007 toward that end: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses concern for the more than 1,000,000 citizens 
     of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic who have 
     been adversely affected by this interrelated violence and 
     instability;
       (2) calls upon the Governments of Chad and Sudan--
       (A) to reaffirm their commitment to the Tripoli Declaration 
     of February 8, 2006, and the N'Djamena Agreement of July 26, 
     2006;
       (B) to refrain from any actions that violate these 
     agreements; and
       (C) to cease all logistical, financial, and military 
     support to each others' insurgent groups;
       (3) urges the Government of Chad to improve accountability 
     and transparency as well as the provision of basic services 
     to redeem the legitimacy of the Government in the eyes of its 
     citizens;
       (4) urges the Government of Chad to take action to increase 
     political participation and to strengthen democratic 
     institutions to ensure that all segments of society in Chad 
     can participate in and benefit from a transparent, open, and 
     capable government;
       (5) urges the Government of Chad, the Government of Sudan, 
     and other key regional and international stakeholders to 
     commit to another round of inclusive political negotiations 
     that can bring lasting peace and stability to the region;
       (6) calls upon the President to advocate for the 
     appointment of a senior United Nations official to direct and 
     coordinate all international humanitarian activities on both 
     sides of Sudan's western border and expand the response to 
     emergency needs related to the political and humanitarian 
     situation in the Central African Republic;
       (7) urges the President to utilize the resources and 
     leverage at the President's disposal to press for the 
     immediate deployment of an advance mission to eastern Chad to 
     lay the groundwork for a robust multilateral and 
     multidimensional presence;
       (8) urges the United Nations Security Council to authorize 
     a multilateral and multidimensional peacekeeping force to 
     eastern Chad with the mandate and means--
       (A) to ensure effective protection of civilians, 
     particularly refugees and internally displaced persons, 
     including by preempting, preventing, and deterring attacks on 
     civilians;
       (B) to organize regular patrols along the western border of 
     Sudan and implement practical protection measures for asylum 
     seekers;
       (C) to maintain the civilian and humanitarian nature of the 
     internally displaced persons and refugee camps in Chad and 
     facilitate the efforts of aid workers;
       (D) to deter, monitor, investigate, and report attacks on 
     humanitarian personnel and assets;
       (E) to provide around the clock physical security in the 
     camps and surrounding areas, including organized patrols to 
     guarantee freedom of movement to all civilians and 
     humanitarian workers;
       (F) to coordinate and share information with humanitarian 
     organizations, actively preserve unhindered humanitarian 
     access to all displaced persons, and ensure the safety of all 
     humanitarian workers in accordance with international 
     humanitarian law;
       (G) to collect and report evidence of human rights 
     violations and perpetrators to the United Nations on a timely 
     and regular basis; and
       (H) to support domestic and multilateral initiatives to 
     strengthen local judicial, police, and correctional systems 
     in Chad; and
       (9) urges the President and the international community to 
     coordinate efforts to make available sufficient resources in 
     support of this multilateral and multidimensional mission, as 
     well as adequate assistance to meet the continuing 
     humanitarian and security needs of the individuals and areas 
     most affected by this conflict.

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