[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 13 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S397-S398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 432--URGING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE 
   THE UNITED NATIONS-AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SUDAN WITH ESSENTIAL 
                    TACTICAL AND UTILITY HELICOPTERS

  Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. 
Durbin) submitted the following resolution, which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 432

       Whereas, on August 30, 2006, the United Nations Security 
     Council approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     1706, providing that the existing United Nations Mission in 
     Sudan (UNMIS) ``shall take over from [the African Mission in 
     Sudan (AMIS)] responsibility for supporting the 
     implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement upon the 
     expiration of AMIS' mandate but in any event no later than 31 
     December 2006'';
       Whereas, on July 31, 2007, the United Nations Security 
     Council approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     1769 reaffirming Resolution 1706 and stating that the 
     Security Council ``[d]ecides . . . to authorise and mandate 
     the establishment . . . of an AU/UN Hybrid operation in 
     Darfur (UNAMID) . . . [and] [d]ecides that UNAMID, which 
     shall incorporate AMIS personnel and the UN Heavy and Light 
     Support Packages to AMIS, shall consist of up to 19,555 
     military personnel, including 360 military observers and 
     liaison officers, and an appropriate civilian component 
     including up to 3,772 police personnel and 19 formed police 
     units comprising up to 140 personnel each'';
       Whereas, on December 31, 2007, the United Nations-African 
     Union hybrid mission formally assumed control of peacekeeping 
     operations in Darfur, but did so with only approximately 
     9,000 troops and police on the ground, far short of both the 
     authorized and necessary levels;
       Whereas the Government of Sudan continues to obstruct 
     implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1706 and 1769 
     in several respects, including by refusing to conclude a 
     Status of Forces Agreement or to cooperate on issues such as 
     the force composition, the authorization of night flights, 
     customs clearance, land access, and visas for staff;
       Whereas, on January 7, 2008, uniformed elements of the army 
     of Sudan attacked a clearly marked UNAMID supply convoy, 
     severely wounding a Sudanese civilian driver;
       Whereas rebels, militias, government forces, bandits, and 
     others continue to prey upon the people of Darfur and upon 
     humanitarian workers, increasing the urgency of both 
     deploying the full complement of peacekeepers and police and 
     of reaching a lasting political settlement;
       Whereas the preliminary results of a United Nations 
     assessment entitled the ``Food Security and Nutrition 
     Assessment of the Conflict-Affected Population of Darfur 
     (August/September 2007)'' reveal that global acute 
     malnutrition in Darfur increased in 2007, exceeding emergency 
     levels in some regions;
       Whereas the United Nations-African Union Mission in Sudan 
     has been hampered not only by obstruction by the Government 
     of Sudan and other obstacles to peace in the region, but by 
     the failure of the international community to commit the 
     resources, equipment, and personnel needed to carry out the 
     peacekeeping mission, most notably the failure to provide 
     critically needed aviation and transportation assets;
       Whereas the United Nations-African Union Mission in Sudan 
     needs, among other critical mobility capabilities that have 
     not been met, 18 utility helicopters and 6 tactical 
     helicopters and crews;
       Whereas, in a report to the Security Council dated December 
     24, 2007, the Secretary-General termed these helicopters 
     indispensable and stated that ``UNAMID must be capable of 
     rapid mobility over large distances, especially over terrain 
     where roads are the exception. Without the missing 
     helicopters, this mobility--a fundamental requirement for the 
     implementation of the UNAMID mandate--will not be 
     possible.'';
       Whereas a large number of countries possess the military 
     assets that could help to fulfill this requirement;

[[Page S398]]

       Whereas the United States continues to lead the world in 
     its contributions to efforts to end the genocide in Darfur, 
     including by providing more than $4,500,000,000 since 2004 in 
     response to the Darfur crisis;
       Whereas continued failure on the part of the international 
     community to take all steps necessary to generate, deploy, 
     and maintain an effective United Nations-African Union hybrid 
     peacekeeping force will result in the continued loss of life 
     and further degradation of humanitarian infrastructure in 
     Darfur; and
       Whereas it would be inexcusable for the international 
     community to allow an authorized peacekeeping mission 
     intended to help bring an end to genocide and its effects to 
     founder or be compromised because of a failure to commit 
     critical elements, such as the 24 helicopters needed to meet 
     the critical mobility capabilities of the United Nations-
     African Union Mission in Sudan: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) urges the members of the international community, 
     including the United States, that possess the capability to 
     provide the tactical and utility helicopters needed for the 
     United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur 
     to do so as soon as possible; and
       (2) urges the President to intervene personally by 
     contacting other heads of state and asking them to contribute 
     the aircraft and crews for the Darfur mission.

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, on December 31, the United Nations and the 
African Union jointly assumed control of the peacekeeping mission in 
Darfur. But, sadly, little has changed for the people of Darfur.
  The United Nations Security Council has authorized over 26,000 
peacekeepers, but just over 9,000 are on the ground in Darfur.
  The government of Sudan had promised to abide by the United Nations 
resolution, but it continues to obstruct it at almost every turn.
  Some of the rebel leaders have begun to join in coalitions with one 
another, an important step for the peace process, but others continue 
to prey on civilians and humanitarian aid workers and to threaten 
peacekeepers.
  And the nations of the world had pledged to help end the genocide, 
but they are falling short where it counts.
  U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reports that no one has stepped up 
to provide the 24 helicopters that are needed to transport and protect 
the peacekeepers and to give them the mobility that they need to do 
their jobs.
  That is inexcusable. We cannot allow genocide and suffering to 
continue because the combined nations of the world cannot find 24 
helicopters to help stop it.
  That is why today, joined by Senator Lugar and a number of other 
colleagues, I have introduced a resolution expressing the Sense of the 
Senate that the world must not allow this peacekeeping mission to 
founder because we cannot find 24 suitable aircraft within our vast 
arsenals.
  I recognize that helicopters are expensive vehicles that are in short 
supply, with wars raging in Afghanistan and Iraq and with peacekeeping 
missions in the Congo and now being deployed to Chad as well.
  But a considerable number of nations possess aerial vehicles with the 
capabilities that are needed for this mission. Together, we could fill 
this gap.
  The United Nations is seeking 18 utility and 6 tactical helicopters. 
According to a piece in the Washington Post, the member nations of NATO 
alone possess over 18,000 helicopters.
  Not all of these 18,000 aircraft would be suitable for this mission. 
NATO reserves are taxed in Afghanistan and elsewhere, but the potential 
vehicles certainly exist. NATO is not alone in this capability. Other 
countries could also step up to fill this need.
  Secretary General Ban has stated that these vehicles are 
indispensable. He reports that the United Nations-African Union mission 
must ``be capable of rapid mobility over large distances, especially 
over terrain where roads are the exception.'' Ban also said that 
``Without the missing helicopters, this mobility--a fundamental 
requirement for the implementation of the [Security Council's] 
mandate--will not be possible.''
  Helicopters alone will not save Darfur. The needs there are immense 
and growing. The United Nations revealed last month that acute 
malnutrition in the region is rising and surpassing emergency levels in 
some areas. To make matters worse, the Government of Khartoum is 
continuing to obstruct deployment of U.N. peacekeepers. They have 
objected to non-African peacekeepers, such as a team of Norwegian 
engineers, and they are slowing deployment by denying visas and land 
permits and denying night flights. Most seriously of all, earlier this 
month, Sudanese troops opened fire on a clearly marked U.N. convoy, 
badly injuring a driver.
  The world must not allow the Khartoum government to dictate terms to 
the UN mission. The European Union and United Nations Security Council 
should, I believe, join the United States in imposing strong economic 
sanctions on the Sudanese government.
  We should also continue to pressure the rebel groups to cease all 
attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers and engage in a peace 
process to bring a real solution for the people of Darfur.
  We should do all these things and more, but, first and foremost, we 
should ensure that the United Nations and African Union have the tools 
that they need to carry out their mission.
  The United States has already provided more than $4.5 billion since 
2004 in response to the Darfur crisis. That is an enormous contribution 
and it should not fall on our shoulders to fill this particular gap in 
the peacekeeping mission.
  That is why I have repeatedly written President Bush asking him to 
use the powers of persuasion of his office to personally contact other 
heads of state to ask them to commit the needed vehicles and crews. I 
have also written the Secretary General of NATO and President Hu of 
China, asking them to help fill this gap.
  Our resolution urges the members of the international community with 
the necessary assets to contribute the needed vehicles and crews.
  Preventing genocide is a global responsibility. Too often the world 
has failed to keep this commitment, and it has failed Darfur for too 
long.
  We cannot allow the government of Khartoum to block deployment of the 
26,000 peacekeepers, but it would perhaps be even more unforgivable if 
the international community refuses to provide the peacekeepers with 
the equipment and vehicles that they need. Then we will have done 
Khartoum's job for them by obstructing ourselves.

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