[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7052-H7055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING IMPLEMENTATION OF PEACE AGREEMENT IN SUDAN
Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1588) expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives on the importance of the full implementation of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement to help ensure peace and stability in
Sudan during and after mandated referenda, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1588
Whereas Sudan stands at a crossroads, in the final phase of
what could be a historic transition from civil war to peace,
and Sudan's full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA) in this next
[[Page H7053]]
year will determine the future of this centrally important
country in Africa and the stability of the region;
Whereas January 2010 marked the fifth anniversary of the
signing of the CPA which ended more than 20 years of civil
war between northern and southern Sudan, fueled by northern
persecution of populations in the south, that resulted in the
deaths of more than 2,000,000 people and the displacement of
over 4,000,000 people in southern Sudan;
Whereas the CPA committed the northern-dominated National
Congress Party (NCP) and the southern-dominated Sudan
People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), to assume joint
governing responsibility during a six-year Interim Period
ending in July 2011;
Whereas Sudan's April 2010 elections did not meet
international standards due to widespread and continuing
violations of political rights, irregularities in voter
registration, significant logistical and procedural
shortcomings, intimidation and violence in some localities,
and the continuing conflict in Darfur which prevented full
campaigning and voter participation;
Whereas the conflict in Darfur remains unresolved, with
over 300,000 people killed and over 2,000,000 people still
displaced in a highly unstable security situation perpetrated
largely by the government in Khartoum;
Whereas since 1999, the United States Department of State
has designated Sudan as a ``country of particular concern''
for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of
religious freedom or belief and related human rights, as
recommended by the United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom, and despite progress made via the CPA on
religious freedom issues, there are still reports of abuses;
Whereas at the end of the CPA in January 2011, the
agreement requires referenda on self-determination for
southern Sudan and on whether Abyei will remain in the north
or join the south;
Whereas following the Interim Period, popular consultations
in Southern Kordofan State and Blue Nile State are to be held
to determine the governance arrangements in those two states;
Whereas it is essential that the referenda and accompanying
popular consultations are held on time, that they are free,
fair, and credible, and that if the outcome of the southern
Sudan referendum is independence, two stable and viable
democratic states result;
Whereas the Government of Southern Sudan faces post-
conflict reconstruction challenges including establishing
democratic, responsive, and transparent governance,
addressing human resources and capacity-building needs,
strengthening and reforming the judiciary and security forces
to address communal and inter-ethnic violence,
professionalizing the police and security forces, developing
basic infrastructure, natural resources and the economy;
providing basic services including water, education, health
care and social services, and establishing cooperative and
transparent wealth-sharing mechanisms;
Whereas in August 2009, the NCP and SPLM signed a bilateral
agreement to address and implement many of the CPA's
outstanding provisions, but since that time the NCP has
consistently delayed and reneged on its CPA commitments,
thereby increasing tension and distrust between northern and
southern Sudan and endangering the CPA by infringing on the
freedom of speech, assembly, and association of candidates,
political party activists, and journalists during and after
the election process, including censoring the media and
arresting political party leaders;
Whereas the NCP continues to restrict and disrupt United
Nations peacekeeping, humanitarian operations, and human
rights organizations in Darfur;
Whereas the United States played a central role in
negotiations that led to the CPA, is a guarantor of that
peace agreement, and continues to play a leading role
bilaterally and multilaterally to bring about a just and
lasting peace in Sudan;
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stated in
October 2009 that ``the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between
the North and South will be a flashpoint for renewed conflict
if not fully implemented through viable national elections, a
referendum on self-determination for the South, resolution of
the border disputes, and the willingness of the respective
parties to live up to their agreements''; and
Whereas sustained pressure and engagement from the
international community in support of the CPA, including the
upcoming referenda, is essential to bring about sustainable
peace in Sudan: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that the United States Government should--
(1) work with appropriate Sudanese parties and responsible
regional and international partners to--
(A) build consensus on the steps needed to implement the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), including the upcoming
referenda, and promote stability throughout Sudan;
(B) correct serious and systemic problems in the election
process to ensure that they do not reoccur during the
referenda campaign and voting processes, including
irregularities in voter registration, logistical and
procedural challenges, poor voter education, human rights
infringements, intimidation, and violence; and
(C) ensure that the National Congress Party (NCP) and the
Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) implement
procedures whereby the referenda occur as scheduled,
including appointing competent and credible members to all
referenda commissions and providing technical assistance to
and funding for the commissions;
(2) work with the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
to ensure security during and after the referenda campaign
and voting processes, which will require a robust monitoring
and protection presence in areas prone to conflict;
(3) take concrete steps through the contribution of
targeted resources and technical expertise to--
(A) ensure international monitoring and observation of
registration and polling to guarantee a secure environment
for individual registration and voting, and to prevent voter
intimidation or fraud occurring during these critical phases
of the referenda;
(B) ensure that the Government of National Unity (GNU), as
required by the CPA, provides adequate funding at
predetermined levels and timelines for the registration and
polling periods, given the need to ensure that those who
register are able to access polling stations on voting day;
(C) ensure that responsible nations commit adequate
resources and technical expertise to support the referenda
and voter education programs in southern Sudan, Abyei, and
other areas where people will vote in the referenda to
promote understanding of the nature, importance of
participation, consequences of the referenda process; and
(D) support the popular consultation processes in Southern
Kordofan State and Blue Nile State, including through
provision of technical assistance and support for public
education;
(4) work with appropriate Sudanese parties and responsible
regional and international partners to ensure--
(A) the right of return of Sudanese refugees and displaced
persons, including Darfuris and southerners, by providing
assistance and safe passage to all such persons; and
(B) that the citizenship rights of southerners in the north
and northerners in the south are respected in accordance with
international standards should the south vote for
independence;
(5) work with responsible regional and international
partners to ensure a stable north-south border and a
permanent peace in Sudan, utilizing policy options if parties
fail to honor the CPA, especially as it relates to border
demarcation pre-referenda;
(6) continue to utilize diplomats and experts and sustain
engagement to support the African Union and United Nations-
led negotiations over the post-referendum issues, including
working with responsible regional and international partners
to assist in making necessary arrangements for a post-2011
peaceful transition, with specific focus on oil and revenue
sharing, citizenship, return of refugees and displaced
persons, security arrangements along the border, and
protection of the rights of minorities, particularly the
religious and ethnic minorities historically marginalized;
(7) utilize diplomats and experts to revitalize the Darfur
Peace Process and press the NCP, northern political parties,
armed groups, and civil society representatives to address
human rights abuses (including gender-based violence) and the
ongoing atrocities and displacement in Darfur;
(8) undertake renewed efforts to define and implement the
Administration's stated Sudan policy of October 2009,
including by publicly articulating the benchmarks and related
incentives and pressures used by the Administration to gauge
progress or backsliding on key provisions of the CPA,
including the holding of a free and fair referendum in
southern Sudan;
(9) hold the NCP accountable for its actions given the
NCP's human rights violations and efforts to impede CPA
implementation since the announcement of the United States
Sudan policy, and the need for the United States to both
balance incentives with pressures, by--
(A) identifying NCP government agencies and officials
responsible for particularly severe human rights and
religious freedom violations as required under section
402b(2) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998
(IRFA), and prohibit those individuals identified under
section 402b(2) of IRFA from entry into the United States;
(B) encouraging multilateral asset freezes on NCP
government agencies and travel bans on officials responsible
for particularly severe human rights and religious freedom
violations;
(C) continuing to encourage greater multilateral
enforcement of the arms embargo set out in the 2004 United
Nations Security Council Resolution 1556 and strengthened in
the 2005 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1591;
(D) continuing to encourage multilateral support for
efforts to hold accountable Omar al-Bashir and other Sudanese
officials accused of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against
humanity, recognizing that justice is essential for there to
be lasting peace; and
(E) vigorously advocating on behalf of any credible
humanitarian organizations that come under pressure from
Khartoum or are at any point expelled from the country,
thereby compromising their ability to provide vital services;
[[Page H7054]]
(10) support the Government of Southern Sudan, including
through the provision of technical assistance and expertise,
in developing its economy, rule of law, and social service
and educational infrastructures, improving democratic
accountability and human rights, and strengthening
reconciliation efforts; and
(11) unequivocally stand, during this period of preparation
and possible transition, with those people of Sudan who share
aspirations for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to thank Mr. Capuano and Members of the House Sudan Caucus for
introducing this resolution to remind us of the important work that
needs to be done to implement the final stages of the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement between the National Congress Party and the Southern
Sudanese Liberation Movement in Sudan.
The CPA requires referenda in January 2011 to determine whether South
Sudan will become an independent country and whether Abyei (AH-BEE-AY)
region will be a part of the North or South.
The Obama Administration has worked tirelessly to help the Sudanese
people prepare for the referenda and the hard policy choices that must
come after.
This resolution puts the Congress on record encouraging the President
to continue a robust engagement in the CPA process and make sure the
National Congress Party and the Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Movement
fulfill the obligations of the agreement.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in
support of H. Res. 1588, of which I am the original cosponsor.
Madam Speaker, we are all too familiar with the famous quote by the
American philosopher George Santayana, who said, ``Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it.'' The truth of this
saying is tragically realized in the case of war and genocide.
General Romeo Dallaire, the commander of the former United Nations
mission in Rwanda, tried unsuccessfully in 1994 to warn the United
Nations that huge massacres were imminent in that country. Even he
miscalculated the magnitude of the threat. Within a few months, Rwanda
was engulfed in genocide, leading to the deaths of nearly 800,000
people.
Larry Eagleburger, a former ambassador to Yugoslavia who served as
Deputy Secretary of State and then Secretary of State, never suspected
that the hostilities in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina would
escalate to the slaughter of more than 8,000 people that took place in
Srebrenica in 1995.
Sadly, we have too many indications about what could happen if the
two referenda scheduled to take place in Sudan in January do not take
place fairly and peacefully. The 20-year war between the north and the
south of Sudan that ended in 1995 took the lives of over 2 million
people and displaced a further 4 million.
{time} 1610
Peace in Darfur is inextricably linked to peace throughout the rest
of Sudan. And the genocide there in 2003 unleashed the slaughter of
over 300,000 women, men, and children. Almost 3 million have been
displaced and are still consigned to the misery of camps for internally
displaced persons.
Like many of my colleagues, I have visited Sudan. I have been to
Mukjar and Kalma camp, and I have actually had a face-to-face meeting
with General Bashir, the dictator in Khartoum, pushing for peace,
pushing for an end to this slaughter. Unfortunately, he was obsessed
only with trying to convince me that the sanctions against his
government needed to be lifted. The fact that the sanctions were based
on the senseless killing and displacement sponsored by his government
was dismissed by him as of no consequence.
This signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the
Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in 2005
marked a potential turning point for the Sudanese people. It calls for
elections leading to a referendum in January of 2011 to determine
whether the south will remain united to the north or secede as an
independent state. The region of Abyei is also to hold a referendum to
determine whether it will remain in the north or possibly secede with
the south should the south choose that course. Specific conditions were
to be met in anticipation of these major events, to ensure that they
would be conducted credibly and peacefully.
Madam Speaker, these interim 5 years have yielded signs of hope that
the country could settle into a stable, lasting peace. The United
States has devoted substantial resources, nearly $9 billion in
humanitarian, development, and peacekeeping assistance since 1994 to
support the CPA's implementation. But numerous incidents have also
exposed the extreme lack of trustworthiness of the Khartoum government
and the urgent need for the government of southern Sudan to increase
its capacity and accountability.
The Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, on which I serve as
ranking member, and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission have held
several hearings over the last 14 months. The testimony we have heard
at those hearings sounded a major alarm about the ominous storm clouds
gathering over Sudan. In fact, the issues raised at the two hearings in
July of 2009 and the proposed solutions to those issues were so
compelling that I and several other Members forwarded the expert
testimony to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Scott Gration, our
Special Envoy, asking them to take this incredibly compelling
information into account as the administration engaged in peace efforts
in Sudan.
Unfortunately, the administration took little or know account of that
advice. Furthermore, it seemed to ignore its own strategy that was
publicized in October of last year. Key members of the National
Security Council deputies committee, which was supposed to meet
quarterly, met only once in January with no noticeable outcome. The
administration claimed it was taking the advice of numerous experts to
establish specific benchmarks to be met by the respective parties
according to a set time frame. The achievement of those benchmarks,
created to ensure the timely implementation of the CPA, would be tied
to incentives and disincentives to motivate their achievement. There is
no evidence that these benchmarks were ever created, much less enforced
with discernible consequences.
Madam Speaker, the President and the State Department have taken some
action during the past few weeks, apparently recognizing that the time
remaining until the North-South referendum is extremely short. One most
hope that the adage ``better late than never'' will apply in this case.
The challenges to be addressed in the next few weeks, particularly the
demarcation of the North-South border and the post-referendum agreement
on wealth sharing and citizenship can be met if the United States plays
a leadership role in gathering the influence and cooperation of the
African Union and other international players. Herculean measures must
also be undertaken to ensure that the January 9 referendum is conducted
in a manner that ensures the credibility of the outcome as well as the
peaceful acceptance of that outcome by the parties.
With H. Res. 1588, I join my colleagues in pressing upon the
administration the urgent need to assist the Sudanese people in their
long-sought-after quest for peace. The effort will be great, but the
price of another even more catastrophic war would be even greater. No
one, particularly the Sudanese people, can afford to pay that price.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano).
Mr. CAPUANO. Madam Speaker, I am here to support this resolution.
[[Page H7055]]
Very clearly, this resolution is simply intended to encourage the
Government of the United States and other governments around world to
continue pressing to make sure that the resolution that is on the
ballot January 9 of next year for the people of south Sudan to decide
for themselves whether they want to make their own country or be part
of the Government of Sudan. That is all we want. It is an agreement
that was made in 2005 by warring parties.
I want to be clear. Before I got elected to Congress 12 years ago, I
might have known where Sudan was, not sure. I would not have known
where Darfur was. I would not have known that there was a problem in
south Sudan. This is not a problem that I have been studying for a
while. It is a problem that started to come to my attention after 9/11
when I realized, like many Americans, you trace back who is this bin
Laden guy, where is he from. He spent years in Sudan training,
recruiting, preparing for attacks like 9/11. That was just the
beginning of it.
South Sudan decided that it wanted some freedom. They had a
revolution of their own. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed.
Millions were displaced. That same government in Khartoum also, soon
thereafter, started a genocide on their own people in Darfur.
All we are asking, in a very difficult situation, with multi-facets
that are beyond comprehension, to simply have the United States
Government continue what they are doing. The President of the United
States went to New York City last week to meet on Sudan at the U.N. The
United States has a Special Envoy there. We are paying special
attention.
And by the way, it is not just because I have a bleeding heart for
people who have been massacred. It is not just that people should have
their own right of self-determination. It is also because this
particular country, this particular section of the country is in a
critically important region in Africa.
I think most everybody in this country have now heard of the Pilots
of Somalia. That is right next door. Eritrea, right next door,
Ethiopia, right next door. All around them is instability, danger and
potential violence that could draw in the entire region. That is what
this peace agreement is all about. That is why I am here, for January 9
of next year, to encourage the world to pay attention to this for their
own sake, if not for the sake of the people in Sudan and south Sudan.
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Res. 1588, which
calls attention to the upcoming referenda in Sudan and the need to
ensure full implementation of that country's Comprehensive Peace
Agreement, CPA. I want to commend my fellow co-chairs of the Sudan
Caucus, Mr. Capuano, Mr. Wolf, and Mr. McCaul, for their bipartisan
leadership on this issue. Mr. Capuano, our Republican co-chairs, and I
have worked hard to bring this resolution to the floor because time is
short. I support this resolution and say we must sound the alarm for
what is going on in Sudan. The people of Sudan deserve our support for
timely, free and fair referenda on the independence of Southern Sudan
and Abyei. The National Congress Party, headed by President Omar el
Bashir, must not be allowed to derail the referenda.
The referenda are part of the peace dividend promised to the people
of South Sudan and Abyei following the 21-year war civil war between
North and South Sudan. During the war, which claimed the lives of 2
million Southerners and displaced 4 million, the Bashir regime used
aerial bombings against innocent, defenseless children, women, men,
elderly, and disabled. Indeed, the war nearly destroyed an entire
region--South Sudan, but it could not destroy the spirit of its people.
On January 9, 2005 members of the U.S. Government, including myself,
witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA, which
ended the war and outlined the path to secure lasting peace in Sudan.
The signing of the agreement launched a 6-year Interim Period during
which Khartoum would have the opportunity to show the people of the
South that it was capable of change. At the end of the 6 year period--
on January 9, 2011--the CPA promised an opportunity for the people of
the South to determine whether the regime in Khartoum had changed
enough that they want to remain a part of Sudan or whether they want to
secede. The people in the marginal area of Abyei--the region that holds
in its soil Sudan's oil wealth--would decide if they would retain their
special administrative status in the North or to become part of the
South.
Today, with less than four months until the referenda, Sudan is
dismally behind on implementing the CPA. Bashir's regime has refused to
cooperate on key measures that must be put in place. Khartoum has
repeatedly played games, stalled, held up, and obstructed so many
critical steps in the fulfillment of the CPA that as of today, it is
unclear whether the referenda in January can actually be held freely
and fairly. Sudan also faces a number of challenges as it struggles to
emerge as a democracy from decades of civil war. The conflict and
violence in Darfur still rage even as the international community hopes
for peace.
Indeed, Sudan could erupt into conflict once again if the referenda
are not held freely and fairly. We support House Resolution 1588 to
call on the Administration and the international community to fully
employ all of our diplomatic tools, as well as significant
international technical assistance, to ensure that the referenda are
timely, free, peaceful, and fair to the people of Sudan. The
consequences of failed referenda are too great.
The United States has served as a guarantor of the CPA, helping to
negotiate the agreement and facilitate its implementation by both
signatories--the National Congress Party, NCP, and Sudan People's
Liberation Movement/Army, SPLM/A. We have invested considerable time
and resources in helping the people of Sudan, and we must ensure that
this level of commitment is maintained through this critical time and
beyond. Now is the time to refocus attention on Sudan.
H. Res. 1588 sends a clear message to Khartoum that a dismissal of
the CPA will not be tolerated. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of
this bipartisan resolution.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests
for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1588, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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