[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 172 (Wednesday, November 20, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6131-H6133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE ACTIONS OF THE RAPID SUPPORT FORCES AND ALLIED MILITIAS
IN THE DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN AGAINST NON-ARAB ETHNIC COMMUNITIES AS
ACTS OF GENOCIDE
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1328) recognizing the actions of the Rapid Support
Forces and allied militias in the Darfur region of Sudan against non-
Arab ethnic communities as acts of genocide.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1328
Whereas Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (in this preamble
referred to as the ``Genocide Convention''), adopted at Paris
on December 9, 1948, defines genocide as ``any of the
following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or
in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as
such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious
bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c)
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life
calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole
or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births
within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the
group to another group'';
Whereas the genocide that began in 2003 in Darfur
perpetrated by the Government of Sudan and its proxy
Janjaweed militia, explicitly targeting the Fur, Zaghawa, and
Masalit ethnic communities through mass killings, forced
displacement, the razing of villages and cropland, widespread
rape, aerial bombings of civilians, and the blocking of
humanitarian assistance, killed at least 200,000 civilians
and displaced 2,000,000 people;
Whereas, on July 22, 2004, Congress declared, with the
passage of House Concurrent Resolution 467 (108th Congress)
and Senate Concurrent Resolution 133 (108th Congress), that
atrocities occurring in Darfur were genocide, and the
administration of President George W. Bush declared genocide
in Darfur on September 9, 2004;
Whereas, in 2013, the Government of Sudan, under the
administration of the National Intelligence and Security
Service (NISS) and the command of the Sudanese Armed Forces
(SAF), formed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a formal
paramilitary force composed primarily of Janjaweed militia;
Whereas Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (commonly known as
``Hemedti''), a Janjaweed militia leader during the genocide
in Darfur that began in 2003, served as head of the RSF and
became the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council,
which took power from the President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir
in 2019, and the deputy chairman of the successor Sovereign
Council;
Whereas the elevation of individuals who served in
leadership of the parties responsible for such genocide,
including Hemedti and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the
SAF, into leadership roles in the transition government in
2019 only heightened the risk of atrocities recurring across
Sudan, including genocide in Darfur;
Whereas fighting between the SAF and the RSF broke out in
Khartoum on April 15, 2023, and quickly spread to Darfur,
where the RSF has taken control of four of five regional
capitals in Darfur: Nyala, Geneina, Zalingei, and El Daein;
Whereas, on August 16, 2023, CNN issued an investigative
report on the June 15, 2023, atrocity in El Geneina, the
capital of West Darfur, describing the atrocity as ``one of
the most violent incidents in the genocide-scarred Sudanese
region's history'', explaining how ``the powerful
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and its allied militias
hunted down non-Arab people in various parts of the city . .
. reviving a genocidal playbook'', and in which survivors
reported that identifying as Masalit ``was a death
sentence'';
Whereas, on November 3, 2023, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, ``We are
deeply alarmed by reports that women and girls are being
abducted and held in inhuman, degrading slave-like conditions
in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in
Darfur'';
Whereas, on November 14, 2023, the United Nations Special
Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu,
expressed extreme concern with the ``serious allegations of
mass killings'' in Ardamata, which ``may constitute acts of
genocide'', citing reports that the violence killed more than
800 people and displaced 8,000 Sudanese individuals to Chad;
Whereas, on December 6, 2023, Secretary of State Antony
Blinken determined that, since the fighting between the SAF
and the RSF began on April 15, 2023, Sudan has experienced
war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing in
``haunting echoes of the genocide that began almost 20 years
ago in Darfur'', including Masalit civilians being ``hunted
down and left for dead in the streets, their homes set on
fire, and told that there is no place in Sudan for them'';
Whereas a December 15, 2023, Reuters special investigative
report detailed the targeted killing of Masalit men and boys
by the RSF, about which an emergency protection officer for
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees explained
that ``the objective of the killings seems to be the
elimination of future fighters as well as the line of
ancestry of a specific ethnic group'', referring to the
Masalit people;
Whereas the RSF has killed Masalit political and
traditional leaders in El Geneina, West Darfur, including
Khamis Abdullah Abbakar, the Governor of West Darfur, and
Farsha Mohamed Arbab, a prominent leader of the Masalit
Sultanate;
Whereas, on May 9, 2024, Human Rights Watch reported that
attacks by the RSF and allied militias in El Geneina, the
capital city of Sudan's West Darfur state, killed thousands
of people and left hundreds of thousands as refugees, from
April to November 2023;
Whereas there is significant evidence of widespread,
systematic actions against the non-Arab ethnic communities of
Darfur, including the Masalit people, committed by the RSF
and allied militias that meet one or more of the criteria
under Article II of the Genocide Convention, including--
(1) killing members of the non-Arab ethnic communities in
Darfur in mass killings of civilians, including summary
executions in the streets and shootings of civilians fleeing
across the Wadi Kaja river and to the Chad border, targeted
killings of men and boys, targeted killings of Masalit
leaders, and burials in mass graves;
(2) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of
such communities, including through extrajudicial detention,
torture and beatings, extortion, sexual and gender-based
violence, mass rape, sexual slavery, and forced displacement;
and
(3) deliberately inflicting on such communities conditions
of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction
in whole or in part, including the annihilation of villages,
targeted attacks on marketplaces and schools, widespread
destruction of civilian infrastructure and telecommunication,
the looting of homes and hospitals, assaults on camps for
displaced persons, the destruction of humanitarian
facilities, the killing of aid workers, and restrictions on
humanitarian aid and access; and
Whereas credible descriptions of the RSF's objective of
elimination of the line of ancestry of the non-Arab tribes of
Darfur, survivors' statements reporting that identifying
[[Page H6132]]
as Masalit is a death sentence, and reports that the RSF made
clear that there is no place in Sudan for the Masalit,
against the backdrop of the prior genocide in Darfur, evince
a specific intent on the part of the RSF to destroy the
Masalit and other non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur in whole
or in substantial part: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns atrocities, including those that amount to
genocide, being committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
and allied militias against the Masalit people and other non-
Arab ethnic groups in Darfur, and the roles of the RSF and
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in perpetrating atrocities,
humanitarian catastrophe, and the destruction of Sudan;
(2) calls for an immediate end to the war and all violence
and atrocities in Sudan;
(3) urges the Government of the United States--
(A) to take immediate steps with the international
community, including through multilateral fora, to protect
civilians, including by establishing safe zones and
humanitarian corridors, enforcing the United Nations Security
Council arms embargo on Darfur, and brokering a comprehensive
cease-fire between the warring parties in Sudan;
(B) to support the consistent and transparent documentation
of atrocities and genocidal acts in Sudan by instituting a
mechanism that will, to the greatest extent possible,
publicly release such documentation on a consistent and
regular basis;
(C) to immediately identify mechanisms through which to
fund local, community-based organizations that are currently
providing nonlethal assistance to the Sudanese people in
conflict-affected areas that traditional implementing
partners cannot reach, including for the delivery of food,
medical aid, and shelter to individuals impacted by the war
in Sudan; and
(D) to review and update the atrocities determination for
Sudan every 180 days for 3 years from enactment;
(4) supports tribunals and international criminal
investigations to hold the RSF and allied militias
accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and
genocide; and
(5) calls on the Atrocity Prevention Task Force to conduct
a comprehensive review of its efforts to prevent, analyze,
and respond to atrocities in Sudan, in alignment with the
2022 United States Strategy to Anticipate, Prevent, and
Respond to Atrocities.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Guam (Mr. Moylan) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam.
General Leave
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1328 recognizing the
actions of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias in the Darfur
region of Sudan against non-Arab ethnic communities as acts of
genocide.
The war in Sudan has been raging since April 2023. Sadly, the
civilians of Sudan have disproportionately paid the toll with nearly 9
million people internally displaced.
While both the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces have
committed atrocities during this conflict, the Rapid Support Forces are
reverting to their old ways from 2003 and, once again, committing
genocide in Darfur.
Congress must act to declare this genocide as such and stress our
support for the Sudanese people and urge a swift end to the conflict.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1328, which condemns
atrocities in Sudan, including those that amount to genocide.
I support this resolution because it is imperative we turn the
world's attention to the dire situation unfolding in Sudan. The scale
of suffering there is nothing short of horrific. It is the world's
largest humanitarian crisis. Yet, the response from the international
community has been alarmingly silent.
Since April 2023, the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and
the Sudanese Armed Forces has had devastating consequences. The
violence has claimed up to 150,000 lives and forced more than 14
million people to flee their homes. According to reports from the
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, more than half of
Sudan's population now faces severe food insecurity, including some in
Darfur who are experiencing famine.
The humanitarian needs are escalating by the day. Yet both the RSF
and SAF have systematically obstructed humanitarian efforts. It is a
moral outrage.
This resolution takes a firm stand against the atrocities that have
come to define this conflict, including war crimes, ethnic cleansing,
and crimes against humanity. It also condemns acts of violence that may
amount to genocide, especially against the Masalit people and other
non-Arab ethnic communities in Darfur.
The evidence of wide-ranging atrocities being committed in Sudan is
overwhelming. We cannot turn a blind eye. It is essential that we hold
those responsible to account for such crimes. That is why we have
called on the administration to take decisive action, urging a
determination under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability
Act for gross violations of human rights by the RSF.
Last December, Secretary Blinken rightfully acknowledged that ethnic
cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity are being committed
in Sudan. The United States has taken steps to sanction those fueling
this conflict, including new sanctions on an RSF commander just last
week.
However, more needs to be done, including by Congress, which is why
my colleagues are working currently on additional legislative efforts
to ensure smarter sustained action to end this crisis.
The resolution before us today urges our government to continue
updating its assessment of the situation to ensure that the voices of
the Sudanese people are not lost in the fog of war.
It urges immediate steps to protect civilians who are subjected to
sexual and gender-based violence, torture, and murder by warring
parties.
It is now time for other nations to step up, too. Whether through
increased humanitarian aid, support for documenting these heinous
crimes, or sanctions against those perpetrating this violence, every
effort counts. Those who are providing material support to the warring
parties, like the UAE, Russia, and Iran, must immediately stop
prolonging the conflict.
Innocent civilians are dying every day. We cannot afford to let
Sudan's cries for help go unanswered. I urge my colleagues to support
this resolution and, by doing so, to stand in solidarity with the
people of Sudan.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1330
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. James), the chair of the Africa Subcommittee.
Mr. JAMES. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Africa Subcommittee of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee, I have time and time again brought
attention to the crises going on on the African Continent while the
rest of the world looks the other way.
Mr. Speaker, where is the press? Where are the celebrities? Silent.
Today, Sudan is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, with
close to 9 million people internally displaced. Over 800,000 people
face catastrophic hunger. Sudanese civilians are scattered around the
region as they flee escalating violence by warring parties: the RSF and
SAF.
Diplomatic efforts have failed, and the war rages in Khartoum and
Darfur, where an abundance of evidence points to genocide being
committed by RSF forces against the Masalit and likely against other
non-Arab communities, as well.
In West Darfur, the RSF has systematically targeted the Masalit
ethnic group. From April to June 2023, up to 15,000 people were killed
in a series of coordinated attacks. Survivors said they were targeted
explicitly because they were Masalit, according to a report compiled by
the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights. The RSF has attacked,
burned, and destroyed homes, entire villages, IDP camps, and shelters
that primarily hosted Masalit people.
The governor of West Darfur was executed by the RSF shortly after he
publicly decried the ongoing genocide,
[[Page H6133]]
calling for international intervention to protect the remaining
population.
My resolution will formally declare the atrocities committed by the
RSF and their allied militia as acts of genocide. For far too long, the
world has stood by as we watch a repeat of history and as external
actors, including the UAE, Russia, and Iran, fuel the slaughter of
innocents and the rape of women and children without repercussion.
In 2003, the Government of Sudan and its proxy, Janjaweed militia,
explicitly targeted the non-Arab Fur, Zaghawa, and Masalit ethnic
communities through mass killings, forced displacement, destruction of
farms, horrific violence against women and girls, aerial bombings of
civilians, and the blocking of humanitarian assistance. Today, the RSF,
formed out of these elements of the Janjaweed militia, continues and is
using the exact same playbook.
In 2004, it was Congress that took the lead to bring attention to
these heinous acts. President George W. Bush's administration followed
by declaring genocide in Darfur. By September 2004, we had executed.
The Bush administration and Congress were clear-eyed in addressing the
plight of the Sudanese people.
Sadly, today, President Biden has failed the Sudanese people and has
left another part of the world on fire for President Trump's new
administration. For now, Congress will again take the lead.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of H. Res. 1328,
which passed out of committee on a unanimous, bipartisan basis.
The evidence is clear. The RSF's actions are unequivocally amounting
to genocide and must be declared as such. The press must do their duty
to the world and report on this heinous genocide and crime against
humanity or they are failing in their mandate. They cannot talk about
defending freedom of speech if they do not defend the lives of people
in Darfur.
Mr. Speaker, I call on all parties and their backers to bring an end
to this devastating war. We, for our part, in a bipartisan manner, will
do everything we can to support the Sudanese people without delay.
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
for the purpose of closing.
It is imperative that the U.S. takes this firm stance against the
crimes against humanity waged by the Rapid Support Forces, their allied
militias, and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
What is happening in Sudan right now, as I speak, is the world's
worst humanitarian crisis. Famine, food insecurity, death, and
destruction linger over millions of people.
This resolution recounts only some of the significant documented
evidence of the Sudanese people's plight. While its passage is just one
small step, it is a critical one. It sends a clear message: The world
is watching, and we will not stand idle in the face of such suffering.
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting H. Res.
1328, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
the purpose of closing.
The current administration has been derelict in their duty to act,
failing to declare the Rapid Support Forces' actions as genocide.
Congress must stand on the right side of history and strongly support
an end to the conflict. The Sudanese people cannot wait any longer.
I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James) for introducing this
resolution, which passed the Foreign Affairs Committee on a bipartisan,
unanimous vote.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1328, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flood). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Moylan) that the House suspend
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1328.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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