[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 43 (Thursday, March 15, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1740-S1741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 397--PROMOTING PEACE AND STABILITY IN SUDAN, AND FOR 
                             OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. 
Cardin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 397

       Whereas conflict between the Government of Sudan and the 
     Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has been 
     ongoing since June 2011 in Sudan's border state of South 
     Kordofan and since September 2011 in the border state of Blue 
     Nile, resulting in a humanitarian crisis;
       Whereas the Government of Sudan has refused repeated 
     requests by the United States Government, the United Nations, 
     the African Union, the League of Arab States, nongovernmental 
     organizations, and others to allow humanitarian access to the 
     conflict areas;
       Whereas the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan signed a 
     memorandum of understanding on non-aggression and cooperation 
     in Addis Ababa on February 12, 2012, agreeing to respect each 
     other's sovereignty and refrain from launching any attack 
     against the other, including bombardment;
       Whereas the United Nations estimates that more than 130,000 
     refugees have fled South Kordofan and Blue Nile for South 
     Sudan, Ethiopia, and elsewhere since June 2011, and hundreds 
     of thousands more have been internally displaced or severely 
     affected by conflict;
       Whereas the Government of Sudan bombed the Yida refugee 
     camp in South Sudan on November 10, 2011;
       Whereas both the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's 
     Liberation Movement-North have reportedly prevented civilians 
     from leaving Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan;
       Whereas the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET), 
     funded by the United States Agency for International 
     Development, estimated in March 2012 that conflict-affected 
     areas of South Kordofan would deteriorate further in coming 
     weeks to Phase 4 emergency levels of food insecurity (one 
     step before being classified as a famine), due mainly to 
     conflict and government policies that have limited 
     cultivation, displaced the population, restricted trade, and 
     refused access for international humanitarian assistance;
       Whereas the United Nations Security Council issued a 
     statement on February 14, 2012, expressing deep and growing 
     alarm with the rising levels of malnutrition and food 
     insecurity in some areas of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, 
     calling on the Government of Sudan to allow immediate access 
     to United Nations personnel, and urging the Government of 
     Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North to 
     agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities and return to 
     talks to address the issues that have fueled the current 
     conflict;
       Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
     appealed urgently to donors in February 2012 for $145,000,000 
     to assist refugees from South Kordofan and Blue Nile;
       Whereas President Barack Obama released a statement in June 
     2011 calling on the Government of Sudan and the Sudan 
     People's Liberation Movement-North to agree immediately to a 
     ceasefire, end restrictions on humanitarian access and United 
     Nations movements, and agree on security arrangements for 
     Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States through direct, high-
     level negotiations as opposed to the use of force;
       Whereas President Obama released a statement on February 2, 
     2012, strongly condemning the bombing by the Armed Forces of 
     Sudan of civilian populations in Southern Kordofan and Blue 
     Nile states in Sudan, which stated that aerial attacks on 
     civilian targets are unjustified, unacceptable, and a 
     violation of international law and compound the ongoing 
     crisis in these areas;
       Whereas neither South Kordofan nor Blue Nile were able to 
     complete the popular consultation process with the Government 
     of Sudan as stipulated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 
     (CPA) before violence broke out;
       Whereas, despite the independence of South Sudan on July 9, 
     2011, many key issues between Sudan and South Sudan remain 
     unresolved, including transit fees for oil pipeline use, 
     citizenship, the status of Abyei, and border demarcation;
       Whereas the goal of democratic governance reform in Sudan 
     as envisioned in the CPA has not been met;
       Whereas, in addition to the growing conflict-induced 
     humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sudan's southern 
     border-

[[Page S1741]]

     states, the humanitarian crisis and ongoing insecurity in 
     Darfur continues; and
       Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
     estimates that more than 4,000,000 people in Sudan remain 
     internally displaced, and in 2011, though for the first time 
     since the Darfur conflict began, more Darfuris voluntarily 
     returned to their homes (87,000) than were newly displaced 
     (70,000), and additional tens of thousands are being 
     displaced in southern Sudan: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) welcomes the memorandum of understanding on non-
     aggression and cooperation signed between the Governments of 
     Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa on February 12, 2012;
       (2) calls on the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's 
     Liberation Movement-North to reach a mutually-beneficial 
     political agreement;
       (3) urges the Government of Sudan to allow immediate and 
     unrestricted humanitarian access to South Kordofan, Blue 
     Nile, and all other conflict-affected areas of Sudan;
       (4) encourages the Government of Sudan and the Sudan 
     People's Liberation Movement-North to declare a cessation of 
     hostilities to allow food and essential supplies to reach 
     affected civilians;
       (5) implores the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to 
     refrain from any support of proxy forces;
       (6) urges the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's 
     Liberation Movement-North to allow civilians to leave the two 
     states voluntarily and seek refuge in more secure areas; and
       (7) supports the current efforts of the Obama 
     Administration, working with partners in the international 
     community, to facilitate humanitarian access to affected 
     areas, to encourage all relevant parties to return to the 
     negotiation table to reach agreements associated with the 
     conclusion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, to mitigate 
     violence in the interim, and to allow full humanitarian 
     access.

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