[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 30, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7789-S7790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 632--CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE PEOPLE'S 
 REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO USE THE UPCOMING 
    OLYMPIC GAMES AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUSH FOR THE PARTIES TO THE 
  CONFLICTS IN SUDAN, CHAD, AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC TO CEASE 
 HOSTILITIES AND REVIVE EFFORTS TOWARD A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THEIR 
                    NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONFLICTS

  Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Menendez, 
Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Snowe, Mr. 
Kerry, Mr. Brownback, and Mr. Johnson) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 632

       Whereas, since the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, began in 
     2003, hundreds of thousands of people across the region have 
     been murdered, tortured, and raped, with more than 2,500,000 
     people driven from their homes as a result of ongoing 
     violence, and all parties to the conflict continue to attack 
     civilians throughout the region, while impeding access of 
     humanitarian workers;

[[Page S7790]]

       Whereas armed groups move freely among Sudan, Chad, and the 
     Central African Republic, committing murder, banditry, forced 
     recruitment, mass displacement, gender-based violence, and 
     other crimes undermining regional security and exacerbating a 
     cross-border humanitarian crisis;
       Whereas, on July 31, 2007, the United Nations Security 
     Council passed Security Council resolution 1769 (2007), 
     authorizing a joint United Nations-African Union Mission in 
     Darfur (UNAMID) to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement and 
     protect civilians;
       Whereas only one-third of UNAMID peacekeepers have been 
     deployed to the region and those deployed remain under-
     equipped to protect civilians and are the target of 
     deliberate attacks by armed militias;
       Whereas a new joint African Union-United Nations chief 
     mediator, Burkina Faso's foreign minister, Djibril Bassole, 
     has been appointed to reignite stalled peace talks between 
     the parties in Darfur and help establish a cessation of 
     hostilities;
       Whereas fighting erupted in Sudan's oil-rich Abyei region 
     on May 13 and 21, 2008, leaving 18 civilians dead and giving 
     rise to concerns about a breakdown of the Comprehensive Peace 
     Agreement (CPA), which could ruin progress made over the last 
     three years toward lasting peace in southern Sudan and 
     ensnare the wider region into overlapping conflicts;
       Whereas the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal 
     Court charged the President of Sudan on July 14, 2008, with 
     orchestrating genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, 
     elevating hopes for accountability but also fears of 
     retaliation against peacekeepers, humanitarian workers, and 
     civilians;
       Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     has long-standing economic and military ties with Sudan, 
     giving it significant influence on the Government of Sudan;
       Whereas, from August 8 to August 24, 2008, China will host 
     the Olympic Summer Games, the most venerated and prestigious 
     international sporting event;
       Whereas there is a tradition of an Olympic Truce, 
     originating in ancient Greece, to ensure the safety of 
     athletes traveling to the ancient Olympic Games, the 
     importance of which was reaffirmed in 2003 by the United 
     Nations;
       Whereas the Olympic Truce traditionally begins one week 
     before the Olympic Games and extends one week after the end 
     of the Paralympic Games;
       Whereas, on October 16, 2007, the United Nations General 
     Assembly passed resolution G/A 62/L.2, ``Building a better 
     and more peaceful world through sport,'' which urges Member 
     States to observe, within the framework of the Charter of the 
     United Nations, the Olympic Truce, individually and 
     collectively, during the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 
     Beijing, and to cooperate with the International Olympic 
     Committee in its efforts to use sport as an instrument to 
     promote peace, dialogue, and reconciliation in areas of 
     conflict during and beyond the Olympic Games period; and
       Whereas the situation in Sudan and the neighboring region 
     remains highly volatile as the Olympics approach: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses its continued support and sympathy for the 
     hundreds of thousands of civilians of Sudan, Chad, and the 
     Central African Republic who have been affected by the 
     ongoing violence and regional instability;
       (2) recognizes the unique opportunity presented by the 
     Olympics and calls on the United Nations, the African Union, 
     and other international leaders to use it to promote peace, 
     dialogue, and reconciliation in areas of conflict and 
     commends those Olympic and Paralympic athletes seeking to 
     advance that cause;
       (3) recognizes the close relationship between the 
     Governments of People's Republic of China and Sudan, and 
     strongly urges the Government of the People's Republic of 
     China to use its full influence to press the Government of 
     Sudan to commit to a cessation of hostilities, allow the full 
     deployment of UNAMID peacekeeping forces, and engage in good 
     faith in efforts to rejuvenate peace talks;
       (4) calls upon the Government of Sudan and other armed 
     actors in the region to immediately adopt a cessation of 
     hostilities, during which they allow unfettered humanitarian 
     access and the full deployment of UNAMID peacekeeping forces 
     as well as engage in good faith efforts to rejuvenate peace 
     talks;
       (5) welcomes the efforts of the new joint African Union-
     United Nations mediator, Mr. Djibril Bassole, to revive a 
     comprehensive peace process with all stakeholders to end the 
     violence, demobilize militias, and promote voluntary return 
     of internally displaced persons and refugees;
       (6) urges the President and the international community to 
     ensure that mediation efforts are supported and backed by 
     credible leverage through targeted pressure and an enforced 
     arms embargo;
       (7) calls upon the United Nations and African Union to use 
     the opportunity presented by a cessation of hostilities to 
     fully deploy and equip UNAMID as well as strengthen the 
     United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) to better monitor the 
     Abyei region; and
       (8) encourages the United Nations Secretary-General and 
     other international leaders to publicly promote the 
     principles reflected in the Olympic Truce among all the 
     warring parties in Sudan, Chad, the Central African Republic, 
     and other areas of conflict around the world.

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