[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NOBODY HOME ON SUDAN

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                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2013

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, more than three months since the departure of 
Sudan Special Envoy Princeton Lyman, this administration has yet to 
fill his position.
  A June 11 UPI story covered a recently released Amnesty International 
report which underscored that, ``Indiscriminate bombing has been the 
Sudanese government's signature tactic in Blue Nile state, to 
devastating effect.''
  Amnesty reported on the desperate humanitarian situation facing the 
people of the region--including acute food shortages and virtually non-
existent access to medical care.
  The report underscored the fact that an internationally indicted war 
criminal, Sudanese President Omar Bashir, continues to evade justice 
and concludes: ``With no accountability for past crimes, there is 
little deterrence for those of the present.''
  I couldn't agree more which is why I attempted to restrict non-
humanitarian foreign assistance to countries that diplomatically 
welcomed an architect of genocide in an effort to isolate a man who 
undoubtedly has blood on his hands. I offered an amendment to that 
effect to last year's appropriations bill--an amendment which the Obama 
Administration sought to defeat as the appropriations process moved 
forward.
  These realities beg certain questions: What is this administration's 
policy on Sudan? Is it to isolate Bashir? Apparently not. Is it to 
pursue justice for the Sudanese people? Not if it risks ruffling 
diplomatic feathers. Is it to elevate the issue within our own foreign 
policy establishment? Not really--how else to explain a prolonged 
vacancy of the Special Envoy post?

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