[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 21, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5709-H5711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONDEMNING THE OCTOBER 25, 2021, MILITARY COUP IN SUDAN AND STANDING 
                        WITH THE PEOPLE OF SUDAN

  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 59) condemning the October 25, 
2021, military coup in Sudan and standing with the people of Sudan.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 59

       Whereas the people of the Republic of Sudan suffered for 
     three decades under the despotic rule of President Omar 
     Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, whose government was responsible for 
     the suppression of civil liberties, grand corruption, support 
     for international terrorism, and the commission of crimes 
     against humanity and genocide;
       Whereas, throughout 2019, a coalition of Sudanese civic 
     groups, including professional associations, labor unions, 
     community groups, democracy activists, and opposition 
     parties, led a mass protest movement to demand the end of 
     Bashir's reign and the transition to democracy in Sudan;
       Whereas, on April 11, 2019, Sudanese military officers 
     deposed Bashir, and, following continued protests, agreed to 
     form a transitional government in partnership with a civilian 
     pro-democracy coalition on July 17, 2019;
       Whereas, on June 3, 2019, Sudanese forces led by the Rapid 
     Support Forces (RSF), largely comprised of Janjaweed militia 
     involved in genocidal campaigns across Darfur for decades, 
     opened fire on protesters at an army command headquarters in 
     Khartoum, killing at least 127 people, at least 40 of whom 
     were found in the Nile River;
       Whereas the military and civilian elements agreed to a 39-
     month transition to democracy, with a Civilian-Led 
     Transitional Government (CLTG) comprised of a predominantly 
     civilian cabinet led by Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, a 
     Sovereign Council, an executive body with civilian and 
     military members chaired for the first half of the 
     transitional period by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-
     Burhan, and a Transitional Legislative Council, which has yet 
     to be formed;
       Whereas the United States and the international community 
     supported Sudan's transition to democracy, with the United 
     States identifying more than $1,000,000,000 in foreign 
     assistance, and the multilateral Friends of Sudan group 
     pledging $1,800,000,000 from roughly 50 countries and 
     international organizations;
       Whereas the CLTG made progress in human rights reforms, 
     including guaranteeing the people of Sudan freedom of 
     religion and gender equality under the transitional 
     constitution, banning female genital mutilation, and 
     decriminalizing apostasy;
       Whereas, in August 2021, when the Sudanese Cabinet ratified 
     the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), 
     the CLTG made progress towards ending impunity for abusers of 
     human rights, stating its intention to deliver Omar al-Bashir 
     to the ICC to stand trial for genocide, war crimes, and 
     crimes against humanity, and formed civilian committees to 
     investigate corruption and crimes against humanity 
     perpetrated by the Bashir regime;
       Whereas the transitional government negotiated a peace 
     agreement with several rebel groups, a step towards ending 
     decades of conflict in the regions of Darfur, South Kordofan, 
     and Blue Nile, which killed hundreds of thousands of 
     civilians and left more than 3,000,000 people displaced 
     within Sudan;
       Whereas Sudan continues to face a serious humanitarian 
     situation, with an estimated 13,400,000 people, or 29 percent 
     of the population, in need of humanitarian assistance in 
     2021;
       Whereas Sudan faces a severe economic crisis, exacerbated 
     by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the price of food and 
     consumer goods to increase significantly, while austerity 
     measures imposed to stabilize the economy resulted in the 
     reduction or elimination of subsidies for commodities 
     including wheat and fuel;
       Whereas the political tensions between the civilian and 
     military elements and within factions of the civilian 
     coalition undermined the CLTG and contributed to widespread 
     unrest within the Sudanese population relating to a range of 
     issues, including the economic crisis, ethnic and tribal 
     conflict in peripheral regions, and the unsatisfactory pace 
     of reforms;
       Whereas, on September 21, 2021, some members of the 
     military reportedly attempted a coup d'etat against the 
     transitional government, which failed to depose the 
     government but succeeded in precipitating the most serious 
     political crisis of the transition period;
       Whereas, on October 21, 2021, hundreds of thousands of 
     people across Sudan demonstrated in support of democratic 
     civilian rule, to counter a smaller protest days prior 
     demanding the military take complete control of the 
     government;
       Whereas, on October 25, 2021, Lieutenant General Burhan, 
     with the support of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known 
     as ``Hemedti'', seized control of the government, deployed 
     the military to the streets of Khartoum and Omdurman, and 
     arrested and detained Prime Minister Hamdok and other 
     civilian officials;
       Whereas the African Union Peace and Security Council 
     convened on October 27, 2021, strongly condemned the coup, 
     reaffirmed the mandate of the CLTG, and subsequently 
     suspended Sudan from the regional body ``with immediate 
     effect . . . until the effective restoration'' of the CLTG;
       Whereas the actions of Lieutenant General Burhan and the 
     Sudanese military violate Sudan's Constitutional Charter and 
     threaten to plunge Sudan into isolation and instability;
       Whereas the United States Government publicly condemned the 
     coup, suspended its foreign assistance to Sudan, and urged 
     Lieutenant General Burhan and his accomplices to restore the 
     CLTG and return Sudan to the path to democracy; and
       Whereas, the Troika (the United States, United Kingdom, 
     Norway), the European Union, and Switzerland ``continue to 
     recognize the Prime Minister and his cabinet as the 
     constitutional leaders of the transitional government'' and 
     ``confirm once again the international calls for the 
     immediate return to the roadmap for democratic transition of 
     Sudan'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) condemns the October 25, 2021, coup in Sudan;
       (2) stands with the people of Sudan in their democratic 
     aspirations;
       (3) recognizes the Prime Minister and his cabinet as the 
     constitutional leaders of Sudan's transitional government;
       (4) calls for Sudan's military junta to--
       (A) immediately release all civilian government officials, 
     civil society members, and other individuals detained in 
     connection with the coup;
       (B) return to constitutional rule under the transitional 
     constitution as the starting point for negotiations with 
     civilians toward full civilian rule;
       (C) lift the state of emergency, including complete 
     restoration of all means of communication;
       (D) remove all roadblocks and checkpoints, and order the 
     Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF to stand down and comply 
     with international recognized rules of engagement;
       (E) ensure security forces respect the right to peaceful 
     protest and hold those who used excessive force and committed 
     other abuses accountable in a transparent, credible process;
       (F) cease all attempts to change the civilian composition 
     of the cabinet, Sovereign Council, and other government 
     bodies; and
       (G) transfer leadership of the Sovereign Council to a 
     civilian member of the Sovereign Council in keeping with the 
     transitional constitution;
       (5) calls on the Secretary of State to--
       (A) immediately identify coup leaders, their accomplices, 
     and enablers for consideration for targeted sanctions;
       (B) urge junta leaders to return immediately to the rule of 
     law as set forth by the transitional constitution;
       (C) monitor, discourage, and deter any effort by external 
     parties to support the coup and the military junta;
       (D) coordinate with--
       (i) the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development and other Federal Government 
     agencies to pause all non-humanitarian bilateral assistance 
     to Sudan until restoration of the transitional constitutional 
     order;
       (ii) the Department of the Treasury to use the voice and 
     vote of the United States in

[[Page H5710]]

     international financial institutions to suspend all actions 
     related to non-humanitarian loans or debt relief to Sudan 
     until restoration of the transitional constitutional order; 
     and
       (iii) the United States Permanent Representative to the 
     United Nations to ensure the United Nations Security Council 
     is seized of the matter on an ongoing basis; and
       (E) work with the Troika to engage members of the 
     international community to join these United States actions; 
     and
       (6) calls on international partners to--
       (A) join United States efforts to impose targeted sanctions 
     on the junta and other accomplices to the coup, monitor, 
     discourage, and deter any effort by external parties to 
     support the junta, and urge junta leaders to return to the 
     rule of law as set forth by the transitional constitution; 
     and
       (B) suspend Sudan's participation in all regional 
     multilateral organizations until Sudan is returned to 
     constitutional rule under the transitional constitution.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Manning) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Kim) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 59, condemning the 
October 25, 2021, military coup in Sudan and standing with the people 
of Sudan.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 59. I would first like 
to thank my colleague, Chairman Meeks, for drafting this important 
resolution.
  On October 25, 2021, Sudan's military leaders launched a coup that 
essentially dissolved nearly 2 years of progress toward establishing a 
civilian-led transitional government that would be accountable to the 
people of Sudan.
  Since then, the military junta has undertaken a campaign involving 
serious human rights violations, including the unlawful detention of 
the recognized Prime Minister, senior government officials, and members 
of civil society. Civilian protestors have been maimed, detained, and 
killed arbitrarily.
  Now, the military junta has brazenly aligned itself with the Kremlin 
and provided Putin access to its mining sector at a time when Russia is 
seeking funds to wage its own brutal, illegal war in Ukraine.
  For these reasons, Congress needs to send a unified message to 
Sudan's military junta by strongly condemning the October 25 coup and 
reaffirming our support for the Sudanese people.
  This resolution will also signal to the world that the international 
community must take a stand against the antidemocratic trends sweeping 
Sudan and the region. We must continue championing multilateral efforts 
to bring peace and stability to Sudan.
  While clearly imperfect, I believe the U.N.-mediated process to 
advance Sudan's political transition and reestablish the path to peace 
could be viable with the right leadership and inclusive representation.
  In passing this resolution and a companion resolution recently passed 
by our colleagues in the Senate, I ask you to support this call to 
stand with the people of Sudan and urge Sudan's military junta to 
restore the civilian-led transition as the best hope for peace and 
prosperity in Sudan.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                                    U.S. House of Representatives,


                              Committee on Financial Services,

                                    Washington, DC, June 17, 2022.
     Hon. Gregory Meeks,
     Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Meeks: I am writing to acknowledge your 
     letter dated June 17, 2022, regarding the waiver by the 
     Committee on Financial Services of any Rule X jurisdiction 
     claims over the matters contained in H. Con. Res. 59, the 
     ``Condemning the October 25, 2021, military coup in Sudan and 
     standing with the people of Sudan.'' The Committee on 
     Financial Services confirms our mutual understanding that our 
     Committee does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject 
     matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our 
     Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as 
     this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may 
     address any remaining issues within our jurisdiction. The 
     Committee on Financial Services further confirms our interest 
     in appointment of outside conferees from the Committee should 
     this bill or similar language be considered in a conference 
     with the Senate.
       We request that you ensure that this exchange of letters is 
     included in the Congressional Record during Floor 
     consideration of the bill. We look forward to continuing to 
     work with you as this measure moves through the legislative 
     process.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Maxine Waters,
     Chairwoman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                    Washington, DC, June 21, 2022.
     Hon. Maxine Waters,
     Chair, Committee on Financial Services, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chair Waters: I am writing to you concerning H. Con. 
     Res. 59, Condemning the October 25, 2021, military coup in 
     Sudan and standing with the people of Sudan. I appreciate 
     your willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation.
       I acknowledge that provisions of the resolution fall within 
     the jurisdiction of the Committee on Financial Services under 
     House Rule X, and that your Committee will forgo action on H. 
     Con. Res. 59 to expedite floor consideration. I further 
     acknowledge that the inaction of your Committee with respect 
     to the measure does not waive any future jurisdictional claim 
     over the matters contained in the resolution that fall within 
     your jurisdiction. I also acknowledge that your Committee 
     will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or 
     similar legislation moves forward, and will support the 
     appointment of Committee on Financial Services conferees 
     during any House-Senate conference convened on this 
     legislation.
       Lastly, I will ensure that our exchange of letters is 
     included in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your 
     cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to 
     continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the 
     legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Gregory W. Meeks,
                                                            Chair.

                              {time}  1615

  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 59, condemning 
the October 25 coup in Sudan. I thank Chairman Meeks, Ranking Member 
McCaul, as well as Chairwoman Bass and Ranking Member Smith of the 
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Global Human Rights.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Sudan have worked tirelessly for freedom 
and democracy since the ousting of 30-year dictator, Omar Al-Bashir. 
Unfortunately, the path toward civilian-led democracy was halted when 
military junta leaders detained civilian leaders and took over the 
government last fall. These actions undermined months of progress made 
under transitional authorities and hope for a new future in Sudan.
  Military leaders, like General Burhan and General Hemeti, have once 
again prioritized power as well as personal and financial gain over the 
will of the people. While I am glad Congress is sending an important 
and unified message condemning the October 25 coup, more must be done.
  That is why I am leading the Sudan Democracy Act, which passed out of 
committee earlier this year. The same military junta that overthrew the 
civilian-led transitional government and are undermining peace and 
stability in Sudan, are also some of the same individuals implicated in 
gross violations of human rights, corruption, and illicit finance 
schemes.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the administration to utilize all existing 
sanctions authority to demand accountability for these actions while we 
continue to work here in Congress to find a path forward for new, 
important sanctions authority.
  I stand firmly behind the people of Sudan, or anywhere else in the 
world, where people are fighting for freedom and democracy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important 
measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  In closing, I again thank my colleagues on the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs and the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights 
for offering this important resolution.
  Last month, the Senate unanimously passed an identical resolution, 
and

[[Page H5711]]

Congress is speaking clearly with one voice in support of the people of 
Sudan and their tireless fight for democracy.
  The United States should continue to support human rights defenders, 
journalists, and civil society leaders in Sudan who are standing up for 
democracy. But it is also critical that the Biden administration 
rethink any foreign assistance intended for Sudan under this new 
military junta leadership.
  Prior appropriations bills provided over $700 million to solidify a 
fledgling civilian-led transitional government. Unfortunately, that 
government is no longer in power and precious taxpayer resources should 
not be beholden to this unfortunate new reality in Sudan.
  I again commend the people of Sudan for their steadfast support of 
democracy, and I am proud that today, the United States Congress sends 
a strong message of solidarity.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for 
the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, the October 25 military coup in Sudan represents a dark 
day for the people in Sudan. It put Sudan and its people on a 
regressive path that has eroded their human rights and their 
aspirations for a civilian-led transition. This transition, with 
historic support from the United States, augured peace, stability, and 
democratic governance in Sudan for the first time in decades. Instead, 
the military junta decided to seize power without regard for the will 
of Sudan's people.
  This resolution will echo the voice of the international community by 
condemning the coup, standing up for Sudan's people, and calling for 
full accountability for the junta leaders who have abused their power 
and their people. The passage of this concurrent resolution is a step 
in the right direction.
  I again thank Chairman Meeks for his leadership on this resolution, 
and I urge all my colleagues to join us by voting in the affirmative.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 59.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________