[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24969-24970]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SUDAN VICE PRESIDENT

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, later this afternoon, I have the honor of 
hosting Sudan's First Vice President, Salva Kiir, in the U.S. Capitol. 
I have come to the floor many times to speak on Sudan, having gone to 
that country just about every year for the last 7 or 8 years, having 
spent most of that time in southern Sudan. I look forward to being with 
and hosting Salva Kiir, who is a founding member of the SPLM, the Sudan 
People's Liberation Movement.
  In January of this year, the SPLM and the Sudanese Government in 
Khartoum signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, bringing an end to 
21 years of a brutal civil war, a civil war that has destroyed much of 
that country, especially in the south.
  When I first started going to Sudan, literally there was no hospital 
in southern Sudan, and the one hospital that was eventually reopened 
was a hospital that had been closed about 18 years previously, with 
landmines placed all around that hospital. It destroyed health care 
there, obviously, but it had destroyed commerce, any touch of humanity, 
and had driven the entire southern population out of villages, 
dispersing them, with 5 million people displaced and about 2 million 
people who died in that civil war.
  In June of this year, longtime SPLM chairman and a very close friend 
of mine, Dr. John Garang, went back to Khartoum for the first time in 
21 years. It was a momentous time. At that time, he was sworn in as 
First Vice President of Sudan. Up until that time, he had always been 
in southern Sudan. It was a historic moment not that long ago, cheered 
by millions and millions of Sudanese.
  Tragically, 1 month later, on July 30, the helicopter that was 
carrying Dr. Garang and his passengers crashed, a sudden crash. Why it 
crashed nobody knows.
  Salva Kiir replaced Dr. Garang as First Vice President, and he 
promises to carry forward this peace process, which is challenging, but 
it can be accomplished.
  His predecessor had worked very hard over many years to take that 
country to the point of peace. Under that peace agreement, Sudan enters 
a 6-year interim period, and 4 years into that, at the 4-year mark, 
nationwide elections will be held at the provincial and national 
levels. The interim period will culminate with a vote by the people in 
southern Sudan to decide their political future.
  It is a fragile moment for Sudan, but it is one for great hope.
  I had gotten involved and worked very hard with Dr. Garang and other 
leaders of the SPLA and SPLM. I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. 
Garang many times. I was hosted last August at his home in a place 
called New Site in southern Sudan, where I spent several days with Dr. 
Garang and his wife.
  This June, not that long ago, I had the opportunity to host Dr. 
Garang in my Capitol office. During that meeting, he emphasized to me, 
looking me directly in the eye, that for the peace to hold, both 
parties must fulfill their obligations. He stressed that continued 
pressure from the United States is absolutely critical to ensure that 
these obligations are met.
  The civil war and its aftermath have created a staggering 
humanitarian crisis. I mentioned 5 million people displaced from their 
homes and over 2 million people have died. That subjects

[[Page 24970]]

the country to a famine and deterioration and destruction of health 
care systems and education infrastructure. International assistance in 
education, in building of roads, in the infrastructure of health care 
can help show a traumatized nation, after 21 years of civil war, that 
peace is the only way forward.
  As I mentioned, this is a critical moment for Sudan. Many southerners 
have expressed concern about the unfair distribution and domination of 
key Cabinet posts by the ruling party. Soldiers from southern Sudan are 
still waiting for a decision regarding the formation of what are called 
Joint Integrated Units, with troops from the north and the south 
participating together, side by side. And violence against civilians in 
southern Sudan is slowing down, hindering humanitarian and 
reconstruction efforts in this war-ravaged region of the country.
  The road forward is not going to be easy. In the best of worlds, it 
is not going to be easy. Millions have lost their lives in this 21 
years of struggle. But the days, weeks, and months ahead do hold great 
promise not only for the north and the south but for the entire 
country.
  During our meeting this afternoon, I hope to hear Salva Kiir's 
assessment of the peace process and his suggestions, his counsel, his 
recommendations on how we in this body and the United States can help.
  I also hope to discuss the deteriorating situation in Sudan's western 
region, Darfur. Last week on the floor, I summarized again the 
deterioration of what is happening in that Darfur region. I also had 
the opportunity to visit, a little over a year ago, the country west of 
Darfur, Chad, where there are so many refugees today.
  In the past few weeks, we have witnessed a serious escalation in 
violence among the Jingaweit militias who are supported by government 
forces. They are ravaging villages, they are ravaging these refugee 
camps and attacking--and these are the descriptions we continue to 
get--attacking civilians, attacking humanitarian groups, and attacking 
the African Union peacekeeping forces.
  The recent split among the leadership of Darfur's main rebel group 
further threatens to undermine the peace talks that are scheduled to 
resume in the Nigerian capital on November 21, a couple of weeks from 
now.
  It is imperative that all parties bring the violence to a halt. Only 
peaceful negotiations and dialog ultimately are going to bring true 
resolution. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement shows that it can be 
done.
  Before his death, Dr. Garang told a hopeful country that the peace 
agreement between the north and the south--and these are his words--
will change Sudan forever and engulf the country in a democratic and 
fundamental transformation.'' And he is right.
  It is now First Vice President Kiir's great challenge and opportunity 
to carry forward that torch and lead his country toward that permanent 
and lasting peace.
  I look forward to our discussion this afternoon. On behalf of the 
American people, I offer our hope and our optimism to the First Vice 
President and to the people of Sudan.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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