[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6682-6683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 DARFUR

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the amendment 
offered by the Senator from New Jersey, Senator Menendez. Senator 
Menendez is carrying on a great tradition. His predecessor, Senator Jon 
Corzine, now Governor of New Jersey, showed a special interest in the 
genocide which is occurring in Darfur in Africa. I cannot say how many 
times Senator Corzine came to the Senate to raise this issue. I am glad 
Senator Menendez has the same intensity and the same commitment 
Governor Corzine showed in the Senate. He has evidenced it by this 
amendment which adds an additional $60 million for peacekeeping forces.
  I have spoken in the Senate many times about the Darfur crisis. I say 
that with some embarrassment. It is unfortunate that I still have to 
return to the Senate time after time, month after month, year after 
year. While we debate, people die. What is happening in Darfur is a 
shameful situation for any country in the world, shameful for those who 
live in peace and in powerful countries for not doing more.
  First, let me salute this administration. Though I disagree with the 
Bush administration on so many things, I have been respectful of the 
fact from the beginning, under Secretary of State Colin Powell and now 
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, they have not pulled any punches. 
They have said from the outset what is occurring in Darfur is nothing 
short of genocide. That is a stark departure from what occurred under 
the Clinton administration, an administration which I admired and 
worked with, but during the Rwanda genocide they were reluctant to use 
the word. So many times our Secretary of State and others within the 
administration were pinned down: Was Rwanda a genocide? And even while 
people were losing their lives in that African nation, they refused to 
use the word.
  The reason is because it carries with it so much moral import, so 
much responsibility. Once deciding a genocide is occurring in some part 
of the world, what, then, must we do? Under the Genocide Convention, we 
are to step forward. The civilized family of nations is to step forward 
to stop the genocide in place and to protect the innocent people.
  For several years, though we have declared it genocide, we have not 
done nearly as much as we should. We have relied on a small and 
somewhat impotent group of African Union soldiers who may be trying to 
do their best but who are completely outmanned by the jingaweit and 
other violent actors in that nation who take advantage every day of the 
poor people of Darfur.
  Last week, I went back to my alma mater, Georgetown University, here 
in Washington, DC, and I spoke to a group of students. It was a great 
night. I have not been back at campus in that capacity. It was great to 
speak to them. As the students came up to ask questions, a group of 
students came forward and said, We are a student group on this campus 
genuinely interested in the genocide in Darfur. We are planning a rally 
in Washington--this last Sunday--and we want to know what you are going 
to do about it, Senator.
  It was a legitimate question, one which I answered by saying I had 
done some things, but I need to do more. I offered an amendment to the 
bill now pending to add $50 million to help move in a U.N. peacekeeping 
force that will augment the African Union force and give some power to 
this effort to protect these poor innocent people.
  This weekend, on the National Mall in Washington, at the Federal 
Plaza in Chicago, and in 16 other cities across our country, tens of 
thousands of people gathered to protest the ongoing genocide in Darfur. 
As the Washington Post noted, the gathering of people on The Mall was 
one of the most diverse in history. The crowd was composed of people 
from all walks of life: Jews, Christians, Muslims, liberal, 
conservatives, teenagers, and members of the ``greatest generation.'' 
They gathered under many different signs but many contained the same 
message: Save Darfur. That is simple. That is powerful. That is our 
moral responsibility, to save Darfur.
  Once again, we have fallen short. We promised that once we declared 
genocide, we would act. We said after the genocides of recent memory, 
it would never again happen in our time. Sadly, it has. And things are 
getting worse instead of better. Violence is continuing. The Sudanese 
Government is blocking the preparations for the U.N. mission and peace 
talks have stalled.
  Last week, there was an announcement in the paper which troubled me. 
The World Food Program, one of the most important programs in the world 
to feed needy people, announced it was forced to cut food rations in 
Darfur in half. More than 6 million people across Sudan require food 
aid, more than any other country on Earth. The World Food Program 
estimates it needs approximately $750 million to feed them and it does 
not have the money. The United States has provided $188 million; the 
European Union, almost nothing. Libya is the only member of the Arab 
league to step up.
  This has to change. We can and should do more and so should the rest 
of the world. It is bad enough to stand by without taking appropriate 
action to stop the violence of genocide. But how can we have on our 
conscience that these poor people, these children, these families, 
dispossessed and living in fear, will now slowly starve to death on our 
watch?
  Several amendments have been filed to this emergency supplemental 
bill that addressed Darfur. I am proud to cosponsor them. On this 
amendment by Senator Menendez of New Jersey, I ask unanimous consent to 
join as a cosponsor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. His amendment increases funding for international 
peacekeeping efforts by $60 million.
  Another amendment that has been filed authorizes the Department of 
Defense to assist NATO in peacekeeping efforts in Darfur. The third 
sets aside funds for a special envoy to be named to play the role that 
former Senator John Danforth of Missouri played so effectively. Let me 
say parenthetically, he is a great man. I am honored to call him a 
friend. He accepted this assignment when he could have returned to the 
peace and solitude of his retired life in St. Louis, but leaving the 
United Nations he went on to Darfur. That speaks volumes about this 
man's commitment to the suffering of the world that he did it.
  Now we have an amendment before the Senate asking that another envoy

[[Page 6683]]

be sent by the United States, a person of the caliber of John Danforth, 
who can do his best to try to bring some peace to that region.
  The situation in Darfur represents a massive humanitarian 
catastrophe, one that is ongoing, one that is happening on our watch. 
As we stand to make these speeches in the comfort and security of the 
Senate, people are literally dying, being raped, and starving to death 
in Darfur.
  Over the past 3 months alone, resurging violence in Darfur has forced 
200,000 people from their homes. One-third of them are cut off from any 
humanitarian aid. In addition, Human Rights Watch has reported the 
Sudanese Government launched a new offensive in southern Darfur last 
week. The government troops reportedly used helicopter gun ships 
against a defenseless village in south Darfur where thousands of 
displaced Darfurians sought refuge. Can you imagine the horror of that 
scene as helicopter gun ships sprayed these poor helpless people?
  The African Union mission in Darfur has 7,000 peacekeepers; 7,000 men 
in uniform to guard an area the size of Texas. But a Texas without 
roads, a Texas without bridges, a Texas without communication. They 
cannot end this genocide by themselves.
  Unfortunately, while violence in Darfur escalates, the news on the 
prospects of peace, talks between the Government of Sudan and the rebel 
groups, is very discouraging. The talks have dragged on for 2 bloody 
years. They were set to conclude on Sunday, but in the absence of an 
agreement, they have been extended another 48 hours. The prospects for 
an accord seem dim. Khartoum so far has also refused to allow a U.N. 
assessment team into Darfur to prepare for a mission there.
  The Sudanese Government launched a war on its own people for 3 
straight years. They cannot be allowed to dictate terms to the United 
Nations. Hundreds of thousands of lives hang in the balance in Darfur. 
We should appoint that special envoy, someone of the stature, the 
dedication, and wisdom of John Danforth, to try to advance the peace 
process. The United States must engage the other members of the United 
Nations Security Council to put real pressure on the Government of 
Sudan.
  One of the troubling aspects is that many believe that the major 
countries of the world are pulling their punches and not holding Sudan 
accountable because Sudan has oil deposits. Once again, our foreign 
policy is being affected, if not dictated, by energy reserves in 
Africa, as it is in so many other parts of the world.
  What a grim reminder of how important it is for the United States to 
move to energy independence so we can stand up for the values we need 
without sacrificing all-important energy for our own economy and that 
other countries can step forward and make the right decision in terms 
of the morality and values of the world rather than gauging the impact 
it will have on their oil imports.
  We have to work with our European allies to persuade China and Russia 
to set aside their objections to U.N. action.
  We should pass the amendments before us this week on the supplemental 
appropriations bill, and the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act should 
be signed into law. We should continue to support the African Union 
mission in Darfur, while leading efforts to ensure that NATO and the 
United Nations take up the peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
  Three years of genocide--3 years after our declaration that a 
genocide was occurring right here on our watch--3 years is too long.
  I echo the thousands of people who gathered across America on 
Sunday--the students from Georgetown University, the students from 
other universities across this country, and many other caring people 
who came forward. I urge the Senate to join them to save Darfur.

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