[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 107 (Monday, July 18, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4644-S4645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       WELCOMING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Con. Res. 25.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 25) welcoming the 
     independence of the Republic of South Sudan, congratulating 
     the people of South Sudan for freely and peacefully 
     expressing their will through an internationally accepted 
     referendum, and calling on the Governments and people of 
     Sudan and South Sudan to peacefully resolve outstanding 
     issues including the final status of Abyei.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 25) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 25

       Whereas the United States was a witness to the 2005 
     Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which marked the end of 
     more than 2 decades of civil war between North and South 
     Sudan that resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000,000 
     people;
       Whereas the CPA provided the framework for the historic 
     referendum held between January 9, 2011, and January 15, 
     2011, in

[[Page S4645]]

     which the people of South Sudan voted overwhelmingly in favor 
     of independence;
       Whereas the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), as 
     established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     1590 on March 24, 2005, was instrumental in supporting the 
     implementation of the CPA;
       Whereas the mandate for the United Nations Mission in Sudan 
     (UNMIS) expired on July 9, 2011, with the completion of the 
     CPA Interim Period;
       Whereas the mandate for the United Nations Mission in South 
     Sudan (UNMISS), as established by United Nations Security 
     Council Resolution 1996 (2011), commenced on July 9, 2011;
       Whereas, on February 7, 2011, the Southern Sudan Referendum 
     Commission announced that the people of South Sudan voted in 
     favor of succession by a margin of 98.8 percent, and 
     President Bashir, on behalf of the Government of Sudan, 
     accepted the results of the referendum;
       Whereas the African Union, the Arab League, the United 
     Nations Secretary-General's Panel on the Referenda in Sudan, 
     Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SuNDE), Sudanese 
     Group for Democracy and Elections (SuGDE), and the Carter 
     Center were among those to report that voting in the 
     referendum was credible and transparent, allowing the people 
     of South Sudan to freely express their desire for 
     independence;
       Whereas several outstanding issues and potential points of 
     conflict remain unresolved between the Government of Sudan 
     and the Government of South Sudan, including the final status 
     of the contested area of Abyei, disputed border areas, 
     popular consultations, citizenship rights and nationality, 
     division of oil resources and profits, currency, 
     international debt and assets, and other matters;
       Whereas the CPA parties signed an agreement on June 20, 
     2011, on temporary administrative and security arrangements 
     for Abyei, including the establishment of a United Nations 
     Interim Security Force for Abyei and the redeployment of all 
     military forces of the Government of Sudan from the area;
       Whereas fighting in Southern Kordofan over the past month 
     has resulted in deaths and injuries to civilians, the 
     displacement of thousands of residents, and restricted access 
     for humanitarian workers despite the framework agreement for 
     Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states signed by the 
     Government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-
     North on June 28, 2011;
       Whereas the needs for security, development, and democracy-
     building are great throughout Sudan and South Sudan, and the 
     United States and the international community have invested 
     significant resources in order to provide assistance to the 
     people of both countries;
       Whereas more than 2,000,000 refugees and internally 
     displaced persons from Sudan and South Sudan continue to be 
     displaced from their homes;
       Whereas lasting peace and stability for all of Sudan cannot 
     be realized until a comprehensive peace in Darfur is secured 
     and an appropriate mechanism for accountability and justice 
     is established for those responsible for atrocities and 
     crimes against humanity;
       Whereas the United States has a compelling national 
     interest in the security, stability, and development of Sudan 
     and South Sudan in order to prevent conflict, humanitarian 
     crises, and the establishment of safe havens for terrorists;
       Whereas Sudan was the first country to formally recognize 
     the Republic of South Sudan on July 9, 2011; and
       Whereas the United States Government formally recognized 
     the Republic of South Sudan as a sovereign and independent 
     state on July 9, 2011: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That the Senate--
       (1) welcomes the independence of the Republic of South 
     Sudan and recognizes South Sudan as the newest member of the 
     international community;
       (2) congratulates the people of South Sudan for freely and 
     peacefully expressing their desire for independence through 
     an internationally accepted referendum, and notes the 
     Government of Sudan's recognition of the results of the 
     referendum and South Sudan's independence;
       (3) commends the people and leaders of South Sudan on their 
     efforts to reach this historic milestone as well as the 
     members of the international community that assisted them, 
     including the United States, the European Union and its 
     member states, Norway, the United Nations, the African Union 
     and the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, the Arab League, 
     the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, neighboring 
     countries, and others;
       (4) calls on the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to 
     continue high level engagement to resolve outstanding matters 
     relating to the final status of Abyei, disputed border areas, 
     the completion of popular consultations, citizenship and 
     nationality, division of oil resources and profits, currency, 
     international debt and assets, and other matters in order to 
     ensure a smooth transition to two states and to mitigate 
     points of conflict;
       (5) calls on all sides to fully implement their June 20, 
     2011, agreement on temporary arrangements for the contested 
     Abyei area and swiftly establish a cessation of hostilities 
     in Southern Kordofan to facilitate the delivery and resupply 
     of humanitarian assistance;
       (6) welcomes the deployment of up to 4,200 Ethiopian 
     peacekeepers to Abyei and the new United Nations Mission in 
     South Sudan (UNMISS) to provide security and stability in 
     Sudan;
       (7) calls on the Government of Sudan to allow for continued 
     United Nations peacekeeping operations in Southern Kordofan 
     and Blue Nile states to support new security arrangements and 
     the delivery of humanitarian assistance;
       (8) calls on the United States Government and international 
     community, in coordination with the Governments of Sudan and 
     South Sudan, to support peace, rule of law, security, and 
     good governance in Sudan and South Sudan in order to--
       (A) promote security and stability in both countries, 
     especially in critical areas such as Darfur, Blue Nile, and 
     Southern Kordofan and in Abyei;
       (B) promote the human and civil rights of all--including 
     southerners living in Sudan and northerners living in South 
     Sudan--through laws and regulations fully respected by both 
     governments;
       (C) encourage the Government of South Sudan to engage 
     opposition parties to foster open political space and vibrant 
     democratic institutions;
       (D) encourage the Government of Sudan to facilitate the 
     development of multiple political parties with freedom of 
     speech and association;
       (E) provide technical assistance and expertise to the 
     Government of South Sudan;
       (F) promote access to humanitarian and development aid for 
     the people of Sudan and South Sudan, with a focus on the 
     critical areas of education, health care, and infrastructure, 
     and paying particular attention to historically marginalized 
     areas, including Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile 
     states, and Eastern Sudan;
       (G) encourage the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to 
     prevent terrorist groups from using their territories and to 
     continue to cooperate with the United States on 
     counterterrorism priorities; and
       (H) encourage the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to 
     continue to work together in a productive relationship that 
     recognizes the mutual need for cooperation and an open flow 
     of people and goods across borders and to refrain from the 
     use of proxy forces to foment conflict;
       (9) urges that the Darfur peace process remain a priority 
     in United States relations with the Government of Sudan and 
     receives appropriate attention and resources, including--
       (A) continued high level engagement to secure a just and 
     lasting peace in Darfur;
       (B) a commitment to ensuring humanitarian access to 
     vulnerable populations; and
       (C) sustained support for the African Union-United Nations 
     Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and its mandate to protect 
     civilians and move freely without seeking permission from the 
     armed forces of the Government of Sudan; and
       (10) welcomes the anticipated nomination of a United States 
     ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan.

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