[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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