[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 9, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4736-S4739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ENCOURAGING A SWIFT TRANSFER OF POWER BY THE MILITARY TO A CIVILIAN-LED 
            POLITICAL AUTHORITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 106, S. Res. 188.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 188) encouraging a swift transfer of 
     power by the military to a civilian-led political authority 
     in the Republic of the Sudan, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign 
Relations, with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause 
and insert in lieu thereof the following:
       Whereas the nation of Sudan has endured corrupt and brutal 
     dictatorships for most of its post-independence period since 
     1956;
       Whereas President Omar al-Bashir came to power through a 
     military coup in 1989, and for the next three decades his 
     government was responsible for horrendous crimes in Sudan, 
     especially in Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and in what 
     is now the Republic of South Sudan;
       Whereas the United States Government designated Sudan a 
     State Sponsor of Terrorism on August 12, 1993, for its 
     support to international terrorist organizations and 
     extremists, including elements of what would later be known 
     as al Qaeda;
       Whereas more than two decades of civil war between 
     President al-Bashir's government and insurgents in southern 
     Sudan resulted in more than 2,000,000 deaths and led to the 
     eventual independence of South Sudan in 2011;
       Whereas in 2003, President al-Bashir's government launched 
     a ruthless crackdown against insurgents and civilians in 
     Darfur that killed at least 300,000 Sudanese and displaced 
     2,500,000 more, resulting in Congress and the Administration 
     of President George W. Bush in 2004 describing as genocide 
     the Government of Sudan's actions in Darfur;
       Whereas in 2011, when conflict resumed in South Kordofan 
     and Blue Nile states, President al-Bashir's government 
     conducted indiscriminate bombings and raided villages, raping 
     and killing civilians, and waged a campaign of forced 
     starvation in the Nuba Mountains region of South Kordofan 
     that displaced as many as 2,000,000 people;
       Whereas, while the fighting between government forces and 
     insurgents in Darfur has subsided since 2016, violent attacks 
     against civilians continue and humanitarian access remains 
     restricted in some opposition stronghold areas of Darfur, 
     South Kordofan, and Blue Nile;
       Whereas President al-Bashir remains the subject of two 
     outstanding arrest warrants from the International Criminal 
     Court based on charges including five counts of crimes 
     against humanity, two counts of war crimes, and three counts 
     of genocide;
       Whereas Sudan's economic crisis risks bringing the national 
     economy to total collapse, further increasing the possibility 
     of state failure and broader regional destabilization that 
     could threaten a wide array of United States interests in 
     East and North Africa and the Red Sea regions;
       Whereas the people of Sudan have engaged since December 
     2018 in a wave of peaceful protests throughout the country 
     demanding an end to President al-Bashir's brutal regime and 
     pressing for a citizen-centered democratic transition;
       Whereas women have played a prominent role in the protest 
     movement, helping bring about the ouster of former President 
     al-Bashir;
       Whereas President al-Bashir's government unlawfully 
     detained and tortured hundreds of Sudanese during the 
     protests, including political leaders, journalists, doctors, 
     unionists, and youth and women leaders, in gross violation of 
     international civil and human rights, and some of them remain 
     in detention;
       Whereas on February 22, 2019, President al-Bashir declared 
     a year-long nationwide state of emergency and curfew, 
     dissolved his government, replaced state governors with 
     senior security officers, and expanded the powers of Sudan's 
     security forces;
       Whereas when protesters in early April challenged President 
     al-Bashir's decrees and gathered in the tens of thousands in 
     front of Sudan's military headquarters in Khartoum to call 
     for an end to the regime, some elements of the security 
     forces tried to disperse the crowds with violence, leading to 
     clashes between internal security forces and the military as 
     some soldiers sought to protect the protesters;
       Whereas on April 11, 2019, after five days of mass protests 
     in front of their headquarters, Sudan's military removed 
     President al-Bashir from office and the country's First Vice 
     President and Minister of Defense, Lt. General Awad Ibn Auf, 
     announced he would lead a Transitional Military Council that 
     would rule the country for a two-year period, suspended the 
     Constitution, dissolved the National Assembly, and imposed a 
     three-month State of Emergency and nightly curfew;
       Whereas Lt. General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, former general 
     inspector of the Sudanese Armed Forces, who replaced Lt. 
     General Ibn Auf on April 12, 2019, as the chairman of the 
     Transitional Military Council, said on April 21, 2019, that 
     the council was ``ready to hand over power tomorrow to a 
     civilian government agreed by political forces'';
       Whereas the Rapid Support Forces, paramilitary forces led 
     by Lt. General Mohammed Hamdan Dagolo, also known as 
     ``Hemmeti'', a former Janjaweed leader who currently serves 
     as the deputy chairman of the Transitional Military Council, 
     have been implicated by the United Nations Panel of Experts 
     in widespread violations of international humanitarian law 
     that human rights groups suggest may amount to war crimes, 
     and have also been accused of killing protesters during the 
     recent uprising; and
       Whereas, the African Union Peace and Security Council 
     convened on April 30, 2019, and reiterated its conviction 
     that ``a military-led transition in Sudan will be totally 
     unacceptable and contrary to the will and legitimate 
     aspirations'' of the Sudanese people, expressed ``deep 
     regret'' that the military had not stepped aside, and, noting 
     negotiations were underway, demanded that the military hand 
     over power to a civilian-led transitional authority within 60 
     days: Now, therefore, be it
     Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the African Union Peace and Security Council's 
     initial two-week deadline urging a swift transfer of power by 
     the military to a civilian-led political authority in Sudan 
     that--
       (A) has a civilian character and composition reflecting the 
     will of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces leading 
     negotiations on behalf of citizens; and
       (B) immediately begins a transparent process leading to 
     credible elections and security sector reforms;
       (2) calls on the ruling authorities in Sudan to--
       (A) respect the right to freedom of association and 
     expression;
       (B) protect the rights of opposition political parties, 
     journalists, human rights defenders, religious minorities, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and civic movements to operate 
     without interference;
       (C) lift the bureaucratic restrictions on and facilitate 
     access for humanitarian relief operations;
       (D) introduce strong measures to create transparency and 
     address the structural corruption and kleptocracy of the 
     state;
       (E) pursue accountability for serious crimes and human 
     rights abuses by former President al-Bashir's regime and 
     elements of the security forces under the control of the 
     Transitional Military Council; and
       (F) release remaining political prisoners and refrain from 
     arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture;
       (3) urges the United States Government to support efforts 
     to advance a peaceful transfer of power and a civilian-led 
     transition period that creates the conditions under which 
     timely democratic elections can be held that will meet 
     international standards and be overseen by credible domestic 
     and international electoral observers, and for the peaceful 
     resolution of Sudan's conflicts;
       (4) encourages the African Union and its member states to 
     continue supporting the Sudanese people's aspirations for 
     democracy, justice, and peace;
       (5) expresses concern that the participation in the 
     transitional government of individuals who have been 
     implicated in possible war crimes would undermine efforts to 
     restore peace and democracy and pursue justice and 
     accountability in Sudan;
       (6) emphasizes that until a transition to a credible 
     civilian-led government that reflects the aspirations of the 
     Sudanese people is established, the process to consider 
     removing Sudan from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List, 
     lifting any other remaining sanctions on Sudan, or 
     normalizing relations with the Government of Sudan will 
     continue to be suspended; and
       (7) stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan and their 
     aspirations for a democratic, participatory government.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported amendment to the resolution be withdrawn; that the 
Cruz substitute amendment to the resolution at the desk be considered 
and

[[Page S4737]]

agreed to; that the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; that the 
committee-reported amendment to the preamble be withdrawn; that the 
Cruz amendment to the preamble at the desk be considered and agreed to; 
and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment to the resolution, in the nature of 
a substitute, was withdrawn.
  The amendment (No. 908), in the nature of a substitute, was agreed to 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following:

     That the Senate--
       (1) supports the African Union Peace and Security Council's 
     initial 2-week deadline urging a swift transfer of power by 
     the military to a civilian-led political authority in Sudan 
     that--
       (A) has a civilian character and composition reflecting the 
     will of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces leading 
     negotiations on behalf of citizens; and
       (B) immediately begins a transparent process leading to 
     credible elections and security sector reforms;
       (2) calls on the ruling authorities in Sudan--
       (A) to respect the right to freedom of association and 
     expression;
       (B) to protect the rights of opposition political parties, 
     journalists, human rights defenders, religious minorities, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and civic movements to operate 
     without interference;
       (C) to lift the bureaucratic restrictions on, and 
     facilitate access for, humanitarian relief operations;
       (D) to introduce strong measures to create transparency and 
     address the structural corruption and kleptocracy of the 
     state;
       (E) to pursue accountability for serious crimes and human 
     rights abuses by former President al-Bashir's regime and 
     permit international human rights monitors to deploy in Sudan 
     to examine the allegations of atrocities committed against 
     protesters and civilians during 2019;
       (F) to release remaining political prisoners and refrain 
     from arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture; and
       (G) to immediately restore Internet access and avoid 
     further denial of access to suppress the fundamental human 
     right of freedom of expression and association by Sudanese 
     citizens;
       (3) urges the United States Government to lead in efforts 
     that advance a peaceful transfer of power and a civilian-led 
     transition period focused on creating the conditions under 
     which timely democratic elections can be held that will meet 
     international standards and be overseen by credible domestic 
     and international electoral observers, and for the peaceful 
     resolution of Sudan's conflicts;
       (4) encourages the African Union and its member states to 
     continue supporting the Sudanese people's aspirations for 
     democracy, justice, and peace;
       (5) expresses concern that the participation in the 
     transitional government of individuals who have been 
     implicated in possible war crimes would undermine efforts to 
     restore peace and democracy and pursue justice and 
     accountability in Sudan;
       (6) emphasizes that until a transition to a credible 
     civilian-led government that reflects the aspirations of the 
     Sudanese people is established, the process to consider 
     removing Sudan from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List, 
     lifting any other remaining sanctions on Sudan, or 
     normalizing relations with the Government of Sudan will 
     continue to be suspended; and
       (7) stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan and their 
     aspirations for a democratic, participatory government.

  The resolution (S. Res. 188), as amended, was agreed to.
  The committee-reported amendment to the preamble was withdrawn.
  The amendment (No. 909) to the preamble was agreed to as follows:

                    (Purpose: To amend the preamble)

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas the nation of Sudan has endured corrupt and brutal 
     dictatorships for most of its post-independence period since 
     1956;
       Whereas President Omar al-Bashir came to power through a 
     military coup in 1989, and for the next 3 decades his 
     government was responsible for horrendous crimes in Sudan, 
     especially in Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and in what 
     is now the Republic of South Sudan;
       Whereas the United States Government designated Sudan as a 
     State Sponsor of Terrorism on August 12, 1993, for its 
     support to international terrorist organizations and 
     extremists, including elements of what would later be known 
     as al Qaeda;
       Whereas more than 2 decades of civil war between President 
     al-Bashir's government and insurgents in southern Sudan 
     resulted in more than 2,000,000 deaths and led to the 
     eventual independence of South Sudan in 2011;
       Whereas in 2003, President al-Bashir's government launched 
     a ruthless crackdown against insurgents and civilians in 
     Darfur, which killed at least 300,000 Sudanese and displaced 
     2,500,000 more people, prompting Congress and the 
     Administration of President George W. Bush, in 2004, to 
     describe the Government of Sudan's actions in Darfur as 
     genocide;
       Whereas in 2011, when conflict resumed in South Kordofan 
     and Blue Nile states, President al-Bashir's government 
     conducted indiscriminate bombings, raided villages, raped and 
     killed civilians, and waged a campaign of forced starvation 
     in the Nuba Mountains region of South Kordofan that displaced 
     as many as 2,000,000 people;
       Whereas, while the fighting between government forces and 
     insurgents in Darfur has subsided since 2016, violent attacks 
     against civilians continue and humanitarian access remains 
     restricted in some opposition stronghold areas of Darfur, 
     South Kordofan, and Blue Nile;
       Whereas President al-Bashir remains the subject of 2 
     outstanding arrest warrants from the International Criminal 
     Court based on charges that include 5 counts of crimes 
     against humanity, 2 counts of war crimes, and 3 counts of 
     genocide;
       Whereas Sudan's economic crisis risks bringing the national 
     economy to total collapse, further increasing the possibility 
     of state failure and broader regional destabilization that 
     could threaten a wide array of United States' interests in 
     East and North Africa and the Red Sea regions;
       Whereas the people of Sudan have engaged since December 
     2018 in a wave of peaceful protests throughout the country, 
     demanding an end to President al-Bashir's brutal regime and 
     pressing for a citizen-centered democratic transition;
       Whereas women have played a prominent role in the protest 
     movement and have helped to bring about the ouster of former 
     President al-Bashir;
       Whereas President al-Bashir's government unlawfully 
     detained and tortured hundreds of Sudanese during the 
     protests, including political leaders, journalists, doctors, 
     unionists, and youth and women leaders, in gross violation of 
     international civil and human rights, some of whom remain in 
     detention;
       Whereas on February 22, 2019, President al-Bashir declared 
     a year-long nationwide state of emergency and curfew, 
     dissolved his government, replaced state governors with 
     senior security officers, and expanded the powers of Sudan's 
     security forces;
       Whereas when protesters in early April 2019 challenged 
     President al-Bashir's decrees and gathered in the tens of 
     thousands in front of Sudan's military headquarters in 
     Khartoum to call for an end to the al-Bashir regime, some 
     elements of the security forces tried to disperse the crowds 
     with violence, leading to clashes between internal security 
     forces and the military as some soldiers sought to protect 
     the protesters;
       Whereas on April 11, 2019, after 5 days of mass protests in 
     front of their headquarters, Sudan's military removed 
     President al-Bashir from office, and the country's First Vice 
     President and Minister of Defense, Lt. General Awad Ibn Auf--
       (1) announced that he would lead a Transitional Military 
     Council that would rule the country for a 2-year period;
       (2) suspended the Constitution;
       (3) the dissolved the National Assembly; and
       (4) imposed a 3-month State of Emergency and nightly 
     curfew;
       Whereas Lt. General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, former general 
     inspector of the Sudanese Armed Forces, who replaced Lt. 
     General Ibn Auf on April 12, 2019, as the chairman of the 
     Transitional Military Council, said, on April 21, 2019, that 
     the council was ``ready to hand over power tomorrow to a 
     civilian government agreed by political forces'';
       Whereas the Rapid Support Forces, paramilitary forces led 
     by Lt. General Mohammed Hamdan Dagolo (also known as 
     ``Hemmeti''), a former Janjaweed leader who currently serves 
     as the deputy chairman of the Transitional Military Council--
       (1) have been implicated by the United Nations Panel of 
     Experts in widespread violations of international 
     humanitarian law that human rights groups suggest may amount 
     to war crimes; and
       (2) have been accused of killing protesters during the 
     recent uprising;
       Whereas, the African Union Peace and Security Council 
     convened on April 30, 2019, and reiterated its conviction 
     that ``a military-led transition in Sudan will be totally 
     unacceptable and contrary to the will and legitimate 
     aspirations'' of the Sudanese people, expressed ``deep 
     regret'' that the military had not stepped aside, and, noting 
     negotiations were underway, demanded that the military hand 
     over power to a civilian-led transitional authority within 60 
     days;
       Whereas on June 3, 2019, the Rapid Support Forces led a 
     brutal attack on peaceful protesters, with the aim of 
     eradicating a large sit-in site in front of Sudan's military 
     headquarters in Khartoum, which resulted in more than 100 
     deaths, hundreds of injuries, several cases of rape, 
     indiscriminate beatings and shooting of unarmed protesters, 
     and other human rights abuses;
       Whereas, the Khartoum massacre on June 3, 2019, was 
     followed by a nationwide crackdown led by the Rapid Support 
     Forces against peaceful protesters and civilians that 
     included--
       (1) violent attacks on citizens in Khartoum and other major 
     cities;
       (2) the brutal detention of protesters and opposition 
     leaders like Yasir Arman, with many disappearances of those 
     detained;
       

[[Page S4738]]

       (3) the targeting of hospitals and medical workers caring 
     for the injured; and
       (4) the overt attempts by Sudanese authorities to cover-up 
     the scale of their atrocities by dumping bodies in the Nile 
     river and shutting off access to the Internet; and
       Whereas, the international community has widely condemned 
     the actions of the Rapid Support Forces, with the African 
     Union's Peace and Security Council voting on June 6, 2019, to 
     suspend Sudan from all African Union activities until a 
     civilian government is formed, and United Nations' experts 
     appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, on June 
     12, 2019, calling for an independent investigation into the 
     violence against protesters in Sudan: Now, therefore, be it

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The resolution, as amended, and the preamble, as amended, reads as 
follows:

                              S. Res. 188

       Whereas the nation of Sudan has endured corrupt and brutal 
     dictatorships for most of its post-independence period since 
     1956;
       Whereas President Omar al-Bashir came to power through a 
     military coup in 1989, and for the next 3 decades his 
     government was responsible for horrendous crimes in Sudan, 
     especially in Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and in what 
     is now the Republic of South Sudan;
       Whereas the United States Government designated Sudan as a 
     State Sponsor of Terrorism on August 12, 1993, for its 
     support to international terrorist organizations and 
     extremists, including elements of what would later be known 
     as al Qaeda;
       Whereas more than 2 decades of civil war between President 
     al-Bashir's government and insurgents in southern Sudan 
     resulted in more than 2,000,000 deaths and led to the 
     eventual independence of South Sudan in 2011;
       Whereas in 2003, President al-Bashir's government launched 
     a ruthless crackdown against insurgents and civilians in 
     Darfur, which killed at least 300,000 Sudanese and displaced 
     2,500,000 more people, prompting Congress and the 
     Administration of President George W. Bush, in 2004, to 
     describe the Government of Sudan's actions in Darfur as 
     genocide;
       Whereas in 2011, when conflict resumed in South Kordofan 
     and Blue Nile states, President al-Bashir's government 
     conducted indiscriminate bombings, raided villages, raped and 
     killed civilians, and waged a campaign of forced starvation 
     in the Nuba Mountains region of South Kordofan that displaced 
     as many as 2,000,000 people;
       Whereas, while the fighting between government forces and 
     insurgents in Darfur has subsided since 2016, violent attacks 
     against civilians continue and humanitarian access remains 
     restricted in some opposition stronghold areas of Darfur, 
     South Kordofan, and Blue Nile;
       Whereas President al-Bashir remains the subject of 2 
     outstanding arrest warrants from the International Criminal 
     Court based on charges that include 5 counts of crimes 
     against humanity, 2 counts of war crimes, and 3 counts of 
     genocide;
       Whereas Sudan's economic crisis risks bringing the national 
     economy to total collapse, further increasing the possibility 
     of state failure and broader regional destabilization that 
     could threaten a wide array of United States' interests in 
     East and North Africa and the Red Sea regions;
       Whereas the people of Sudan have engaged since December 
     2018 in a wave of peaceful protests throughout the country, 
     demanding an end to President al-Bashir's brutal regime and 
     pressing for a citizen-centered democratic transition;
       Whereas women have played a prominent role in the protest 
     movement and have helped to bring about the ouster of former 
     President al-Bashir;
       Whereas President al-Bashir's government unlawfully 
     detained and tortured hundreds of Sudanese during the 
     protests, including political leaders, journalists, doctors, 
     unionists, and youth and women leaders, in gross violation of 
     international civil and human rights, some of whom remain in 
     detention;
       Whereas on February 22, 2019, President al-Bashir declared 
     a year-long nationwide state of emergency and curfew, 
     dissolved his government, replaced state governors with 
     senior security officers, and expanded the powers of Sudan's 
     security forces;
       Whereas when protesters in early April 2019 challenged 
     President al-Bashir's decrees and gathered in the tens of 
     thousands in front of Sudan's military headquarters in 
     Khartoum to call for an end to the al-Bashir regime, some 
     elements of the security forces tried to disperse the crowds 
     with violence, leading to clashes between internal security 
     forces and the military as some soldiers sought to protect 
     the protesters;
       Whereas on April 11, 2019, after 5 days of mass protests in 
     front of their headquarters, Sudan's military removed 
     President al-Bashir from office, and the country's First Vice 
     President and Minister of Defense, Lt. General Awad Ibn Auf--
       (1) announced that he would lead a Transitional Military 
     Council that would rule the country for a 2-year period;
       (2) suspended the Constitution;
       (3) the dissolved the National Assembly; and
       (4) imposed a 3-month State of Emergency and nightly 
     curfew;
       Whereas Lt. General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, former general 
     inspector of the Sudanese Armed Forces, who replaced Lt. 
     General Ibn Auf on April 12, 2019, as the chairman of the 
     Transitional Military Council, said, on April 21, 2019, that 
     the council was ``ready to hand over power tomorrow to a 
     civilian government agreed by political forces'';
       Whereas the Rapid Support Forces, paramilitary forces led 
     by Lt. General Mohammed Hamdan Dagolo (also known as 
     ``Hemmeti''), a former Janjaweed leader who currently serves 
     as the deputy chairman of the Transitional Military Council--
       (1) have been implicated by the United Nations Panel of 
     Experts in widespread violations of international 
     humanitarian law that human rights groups suggest may amount 
     to war crimes; and
       (2) have been accused of killing protesters during the 
     recent uprising;
       Whereas, the African Union Peace and Security Council 
     convened on April 30, 2019, and reiterated its conviction 
     that ``a military-led transition in Sudan will be totally 
     unacceptable and contrary to the will and legitimate 
     aspirations'' of the Sudanese people, expressed ``deep 
     regret'' that the military had not stepped aside, and, noting 
     negotiations were underway, demanded that the military hand 
     over power to a civilian-led transitional authority within 60 
     days;
       Whereas on June 3, 2019, the Rapid Support Forces led a 
     brutal attack on peaceful protesters, with the aim of 
     eradicating a large sit-in site in front of Sudan's military 
     headquarters in Khartoum, which resulted in more than 100 
     deaths, hundreds of injuries, several cases of rape, 
     indiscriminate beatings and shooting of unarmed protesters, 
     and other human rights abuses;
       Whereas, the Khartoum massacre on June 3, 2019, was 
     followed by a nationwide crackdown led by the Rapid Support 
     Forces against peaceful protesters and civilians that 
     included--
       (1) violent attacks on citizens in Khartoum and other major 
     cities;
       (2) the brutal detention of protesters and opposition 
     leaders like Yasir Arman, with many disappearances of those 
     detained;
       (3) the targeting of hospitals and medical workers caring 
     for the injured; and
       (4) the overt attempts by Sudanese authorities to cover-up 
     the scale of their atrocities by dumping bodies in the Nile 
     river and shutting off access to the Internet; and
       Whereas, the international community has widely condemned 
     the actions of the Rapid Support Forces, with the African 
     Union's Peace and Security Council voting on June 6, 2019, to 
     suspend Sudan from all African Union activities until a 
     civilian government is formed, and United Nations' experts 
     appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, on June 
     12, 2019, calling for an independent investigation into the 
     violence against protesters in Sudan: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the African Union Peace and Security Council's 
     initial 2-week deadline urging a swift transfer of power by 
     the military to a civilian-led political authority in Sudan 
     that--
       (A) has a civilian character and composition reflecting the 
     will of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces leading 
     negotiations on behalf of citizens; and
       (B) immediately begins a transparent process leading to 
     credible elections and security sector reforms;
       (2) calls on the ruling authorities in Sudan--
       (A) to respect the right to freedom of association and 
     expression;
       (B) to protect the rights of opposition political parties, 
     journalists, human rights defenders, religious minorities, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and civic movements to operate 
     without interference;
       (C) to lift the bureaucratic restrictions on, and 
     facilitate access for, humanitarian relief operations;
       (D) to introduce strong measures to create transparency and 
     address the structural corruption and kleptocracy of the 
     state;
       (E) to pursue accountability for serious crimes and human 
     rights abuses by former President al-Bashir's regime and 
     permit international human rights monitors to deploy in Sudan 
     to examine the allegations of atrocities committed against 
     protesters and civilians during 2019;
       (F) to release remaining political prisoners and refrain 
     from arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture; and
       (G) to immediately restore Internet access and avoid 
     further denial of access to suppress the fundamental human 
     right of freedom of expression and association by Sudanese 
     citizens;
       (3) urges the United States Government to lead in efforts 
     that advance a peaceful transfer of power and a civilian-led 
     transition period focused on creating the conditions under 
     which timely democratic elections can be held that will meet 
     international standards and be overseen by credible domestic 
     and international electoral observers, and for the peaceful 
     resolution of Sudan's conflicts;
       (4) encourages the African Union and its member states to 
     continue supporting the Sudanese people's aspirations for 
     democracy, justice, and peace;
       (5) expresses concern that the participation in the 
     transitional government of individuals who have been 
     implicated in possible war crimes would undermine efforts to 
     restore peace and democracy and pursue justice and 
     accountability in Sudan;

[[Page S4739]]

       (6) emphasizes that until a transition to a credible 
     civilian-led government that reflects the aspirations of the 
     Sudanese people is established, the process to consider 
     removing Sudan from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List, 
     lifting any other remaining sanctions on Sudan, or 
     normalizing relations with the Government of Sudan will 
     continue to be suspended; and
       (7) stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan and their 
     aspirations for a democratic, participatory government.

     

                          ____________________