[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 15 (Monday, January 22, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E86-E87]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMARKS BY JOHN J. SULLIVAN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 22, 2018

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on December 6, 2017, the 
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and 
International Organizations held a hearing entitled ``Advancing Human 
Rights to Combat Extremism.'' The hearing focused on ways soft power 
and human rights diplomacy could effectively combat extremist ideology 
and policies. I had the privilege to sit down with Deputy Secretary of 
State John Sullivan recently and discuss this issue with him in the 
context of our ongoing dialogue with the Government of Sudan. Mr. 
Speaker, Deputy Secretary Sullivan gave a speech at the Al-Neelain 
Mosque in Sudan before a variety of faith leaders. In the speech, he 
makes the case for a values-based diplomacy, and holding countries 
accountable for violations of fundamental human rights, especially 
religious freedom. I am pleased to include in the Record the speech he 
gave with his permission:

       Asalaam Alaikam. I am honored to join all of you here 
     today.
       I would like to first thank the leaders of the Al-Neelain 
     Mosque for hosting us today and for their gracious 
     hospitality.
       Many people from different faiths, backgrounds, and 
     cultures have joined us here today to talk about the 
     important work they are undertaking in Sudan to embrace 
     tolerance and further the goal of mutual respect among all 
     citizens.
       It was a great privilege to spend time with many of you 
     earlier this morning and to learn about the many ways that 
     interfaith groups are working together to forge a new path 
     forward in Sudan and to move away from divisions based on 
     religion and culture. Our discussion was particularly 
     significant as we continue to build a new relationship 
     between the United States and Sudan. I want you to know that 
     the U.S. government and international community stand with 
     you in this important work.


                          THE U.S. COMMITMENT

       This is my first visit to your beautiful country. Secretary 
     Tillerson asked me to travel to Khartoum to speak with you 
     and your government about the growing importance of our 
     bilateral relationship. I am here today to underscore one key 
     aspect of that relationship: the shared values of mutual 
     respect, tolerance, and religious freedom.
       I would like to share a bit of my own personal history on 
     these topics, as they are central to who I am. I am the 
     grandson of Irish-Catholic immigrants who arrived in Boston, 
     Massachusetts in the 1880s. At the time they arrived--and for 
     many decades that followed--Catholics in the United States 
     faced widespread prejudice based on their religion. When John 
     F. Kennedy--another Catholic from my home state--ran for 
     President of the United States in 1960, he even had to give a 
     prominent speech to reassure the nation that his faith was 
     compatible with the duties of the office of President.
       In the United States today, recalling such history seems 
     quaint. But it was not easy, and it took many decades. 
     Eventually divisions were narrowed and mutual understanding 
     between Catholics and Protestants in the United States 
     improved substantially. Today, it is nearly unthinkable that 
     one's status as a Catholic in the United States would serve 
     as a disadvantage to one's ambitions for life.
       The American experience in this regard underscores that 
     respect for the human dignity of every person--regardless of 
     religious belief or origin--is a key component of not only 
     protecting human rights, but also fostering a society that 
     can flourish, build upon each other's strengths, and move 
     forward together.
       This brings me to one of the purposes of my visit: to make 
     clear that the United States remains deeply committed to 
     positive engagement with Sudan on a wide range of topics--
     including the protection of religious freedom and the 
     promotion of other human rights throughout your country.
       This path of closer engagement is new for both of us.
       In 2015, after decades of strained bilateral relations, the 
     United States began a measured engagement with your 
     government to urge greater progress in various peace 
     processes and to seek positive changes for the people of 
     Sudan--regardless of religion, class, or ethnic background.
       In June 2016, Sudan and the United States initiated a 
     historic framework for the path forward, the so-called Five 
     Track Engagement Plan.
       This plan outlined five priority areas for constructive 
     engagement, and required the Sudanese government to:
       (1) cease hostilities in conflict regions, including the 
     aerial bombardment in Darfur and the Two Areas of South 
     Kordofan and Blue Nile states;
       (2) improve humanitarian access throughout Sudan so that 
     aid groups could provide vital resources and assistance 
     needed by the Sudanese people;
       (3) refrain from interfering in South Sudan and instead 
     play a constructive role in regional peace efforts;
       (4) cooperate with regional efforts to counter the Lord's 
     Resistance Army, and;
       (5) build U.S.-Sudanese cooperation on counter terrorism, 
     and make both of our countries safer. In each of those five 
     areas, the Government of Sudan has made measureable progress. 
     As a result, last month, the United States formally revoked 
     certain U.S. sanctions on Sudan to open a new chapter in our 
     bilateral relationship.
       We hope that these positive developments are emblematic of 
     a positive trajectory for the future of our bilateral 
     relationship. But, we also recognize that completion of the 
     Five Track Engagement Plan is only a first step on a longer 
     road toward fully normalizing our bilateral relations.
       More hard work is required--from both of our countries.


                     NEXT STEPS IN THE RELATIONSHIP

       The United States is eager to see Sudan make progress in a 
     range of areas in the months and years ahead, as we work 
     towards a new framework for bilateral engagement. In short, 
     the closer our countries become, the higher our expectations 
     for Sudan will become.
       This engagement will proceed on several fronts.
       For Sudan to become a full partner of the United States, it 
     must seek peace within its borders and with its neighbors, 
     and cooperate reliably with the international community to 
     improve security and prosperity in the region and adhere to 
     long-standing international norms.
       In addition, supporting human rights, including religious 
     freedom, has been, and will

[[Page E87]]

     continue to be, a critical part of the United States' 
     bilateral engagement with Sudan.
       In the United States, the protection of the basic rights 
     and freedoms of our citizens is fundamental to who we are as 
     a nation. The Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution--our 
     foundational legal document--sets forth protections for 
     individual liberties and prohibitions on government power in 
     these realms, including freedom of religion, freedom of 
     speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. These 
     are among our most cherished rights as Americans, and the 
     protection of human rights and the dignity of the individual 
     has served as a key basis of U.S. foreign policy throughout 
     our history.
       This history has shown that U.S. partnerships around the 
     world are strongest and most durable with countries that take 
     the necessary steps to protect the same basic human rights 
     and freedoms that are central in the United States.
       In the years ahead, one measure of the strength of the U.S-
     Sudanese relationship will be improvements in Sudan's respect 
     for human rights and, in particular, religious freedom. 
     Indeed, one of the reasons I am speaking to you today--at the 
     Al-Neelain Mosque, with Sudanese Muslim and Christian 
     leaders--is to emphasize that the United States cares deeply 
     about religious freedom in Sudan.
       By taking steps to enhance protections for religious 
     freedom, the Government will make the entire country more 
     stable and secure.
       Interfaith understanding, respect, and the protection of 
     religious freedom and other human rights are bulwarks against 
     extremism. Religious tolerance is a building block of peace 
     and security and is the mark of responsible governance. The 
     treatment of members of religious minorities is often the 
     ultimate indicator of a government's commitment to these 
     values.
       When governments favor a specific religious, ethnic, or 
     sectarian group over others, violent radicalism thrives. We 
     also know that governments that sponsor or condone violence 
     against their own people are far more likely to see violent 
     extremism growing in their country.
       But by protecting every person's human rights, society is 
     more just, more free, and more stable for everyone.
       For these reasons, we urge the Government of Sudan to 
     protect basic freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, 
     association, religion, and movement. The United States calls 
     on Sudan to protect political opposition members, human 
     rights defenders, civil society groups, and the media. We 
     also urge the government to hold accountable all who are 
     responsible for human rights abuses.
       On the issue of religious freedom, the United States has 
     continued to designate Sudan as a `Country of Particular 
     Concern.'
       The State Department's annual International Religious 
     Freedom Report noted instances of the arrest, detention, and 
     intimidation of religious leaders, and the denial of permits 
     for the construction of new churches; restrictions on non-
     Muslim religious groups from entering the country; and the 
     censorship of religious material.
       During my discussions with senior leaders over the last six 
     months, we have welcomed the Sudanese Government's expressed 
     desire to take steps to overcome its designation as a Country 
     of Particular Concern. However, for that to occur, we must 
     see concrete and demonstrable progress through better 
     policies and improved laws.
       We have communicated these steps to the Sudanese Government 
     through a proposed `Action Plan,' which we hope Sudan will 
     approve and enact. As an immediate confidence-building 
     measure, we have suggested that the Government convene a 
     roundtable with members of religious minority groups about 
     property registration issues, as certain government officials 
     have cited registration issues as the rationale for the 
     demolitions of places of worship. The Government of Sudan, 
     including the Federal States, should also immediately suspend 
     demolitions of places of worship, including churches and 
     mosques.
       President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Secretary 
     Tillerson have made clear that the protection and promotion 
     of religious freedom is a foreign policy priority of the 
     Administration. As we move forward in our relationship, the 
     United States will not ignore violations of human rights, 
     including the right to religious freedom.
       The United States is ready and willing to assist in these 
     efforts.
       To that end, we will explore opportunities to work with 
     religious leaders who build bridges through tolerance and 
     interfaith understanding to counter extremism--like those 
     leaders with me here today--while we bring in new voices to 
     further conversations about accountability and inclusive 
     governance.
       The United States will also review our people-to-people 
     programs, such as the Young African Leaders Initiative and 
     International Visitor Leadership Program, to identify ways to 
     maximize partnerships and exchanges with the people of Sudan. 
     I am pleased to see so many alumni here this morning as a 
     testament to the success of these programs.
       Indeed, we believe that any country-to-country relationship 
     begins on the individual level. We are committed to finding 
     more avenues for Sudanese religious and youth leaders to 
     advance interfaith efforts for peace.


            OTHER PRIORITIES FOR THE U.S.-SUDAN RELATIONSHIP

       Before I conclude, I also want to touch on a few other 
     important aspects of the U.S.-Sudan relationship.
       We recognize that there are ongoing impediments, including 
     certain commercial and financial restrictions, on the 
     bilateral relationship between our countries and a lack of 
     normalized diplomatic relations. Further strengthening of our 
     bilateral relationship will require a renewed commitment by 
     the Government of Sudan on other policies beyond religious 
     freedom.
       In particular, while restraint and a cessation of attacks 
     in conflict areas is a positive step forward, we now expect 
     the Sudanese government to move closer to a permanent 
     ceasefire that will create an opening for a truly inclusive 
     political dialogue in Darfur and the Two Areas.
       The armed opposition must of course also denounce 
     hostilities and make a commitment to a negotiated peace. All 
     parties who have signed the African Union roadmap must live 
     up to their commitment to engage in dialogue toward a 
     resolution of the conflicts and a comprehensive and inclusive 
     political process, and those who have yet to join the process 
     must do so, as there is no other path to peace and improving 
     the conditions of the people living in the conflict areas. As 
     a first step, the opposition should accept the U.S. proposal 
     to facilitate humanitarian aid in conflict areas across lines 
     to help those who are suffering the most.
       Moving forward, we also encourage the Government to improve 
     cooperation with UNAMID--the AU-UN Hybrid Mission in Darfur. 
     UNAMID protects civilians, facilitates humanitarian 
     assistance, and mediates conflict at the local and national 
     level in Darfur.
       This mission--which the United States strongly supports--
     will continue to be instrumental to Sudan's future and 
     greater collaboration with the UN is a win-win proposition 
     for the people of Sudan.
       Violence, war, and ongoing instability are holding Sudan 
     back from a future with great potential. Conflict has 
     affected millions. Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have 
     been displaced and killed. It is time for a path to 
     reconciliation and peace. Your country's prosperity and the 
     security of future generations depend on it.
       The United States calls on all parties to take this 
     opportunity to define a way forward that will help all of 
     Sudan's people.
       Finally, the United States is also looking for the Sudanese 
     Government to help counter international security threats. In 
     that regard, I very much appreciate and applaud Sudan's 
     public statements condemning North Korean provocations, and 
     Sudan's full commitment to compliance with the UN Security 
     Council Resolutions regarding North Korea. Finally, the 
     statements yesterday by the Government of Sudan affirming 
     that it will cut off all ties with North Korea is most 
     welcome.


                               CONCLUSION

       Let me conclude by noting that I am deeply encouraged by 
     the interactions I have had with the Government and with 
     civil society representatives during my visit here. The 
     religious leaders with whom I met earlier today are a deep 
     source of inspiration.
       Indeed, there are challenges that lie ahead, but we should 
     all have reason for hope and optimism about the growing 
     engagement between our two countries.
       Thank you for your hospitality and kindness. I look forward 
     to many more opportunities to further our goals of a more 
     peaceful and prosperous Sudan--a Sudan that respects the 
     rights of persons of every faith.

                          ____________________