[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 11, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4385-S4386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL STRATEGY TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS IN AFRICA

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 103, S. Res. 76.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 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, the Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment 
at the desk be agreed to; the title amendment be agreed to; the 
resolution, as amended, be agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; and 
the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 840) was agreed to, as follows:

  (Purpose: To urge the Government of the Central African Republic to 
address human rights abuses in the northwestern region of that country)

       On page 5, after line 25, insert the following:
       (6) urges the Government of the Central African Republic--
       (A) to engage in constructive and inclusive dialogue with 
     rebels in the northwestern region of the country;
       (B) to hold accountable security forces engaging in human 
     rights violations; and
       (C) to strengthen government services in order to meet the 
     needs of affected populations;
       On page 6, line 1, strike ``(6)'' and insert ``(7)''.
       On page 6, lines 1 and 2, strike ``advocate for the 
     appointment of'' and insert ``urge the United Nations 
     Security Council to appoint''.
       On page 6, line 8, strike ``(7)''' and insert ``(8)''.
       On page 6, line 10, insert ``United Nations'' after 
     ``advance''.
       On page 6, line 11, insert ``and northern Central African 
     Republic'' after ``Chad''.
       On page 6, line 13, strike ``(8)'' and insert ``(9)''.
       On page 6, line 15, insert ``and northern Central African 
     Republic'' after ``Chad''.
       On page 7, line 24 strike ``(9)'' and insert ``(10)''.

  The amendment (No. 841) was agreed to, as follows:

                     (Purpose: To amend the title)

       Amend the title so as to read: ``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, northern Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan.''

  The resolution (S. Res. 76), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               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 crossborder 
     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'';
       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/

[[Page S4386]]

     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) urges the Government of the Central African Republic--
       (A) to engage in constructive and inclusive dialogue with 
     rebels in the northwestern region of the country;
       (B) to hold accountable security forces engaging in human 
     rights violations; and
       (C) to strengthen government services in order to meet the 
     needs of affected populations;
       (7) calls upon the President to urge the United Nations 
     Security Council to appoint 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;
       (8) urges the President to utilize the resources and 
     leverage at the President's disposal to press for the 
     immediate deployment of an advance United Nations mission to 
     eastern Chad and northern Central African Republic to lay the 
     groundwork for a robust multilateral and multidimensional 
     presence;
       (9) urges the United Nations Security Council to authorize 
     a multilateral and multidimensional peacekeeping force to 
     eastern Chad and northern Central African Republic 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
       (10) 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.

                          ____________________