    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [October 21, 2002]
    [Page 1853]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Sudan Peace Act
    October 21, 2002

        I commend the Congress for passing the Sudan Peace Act. This Act,
    passed with bipartisan support, demonstrates that the Congress shares my
    commitment to help end suffering and promote a just peace in Sudan. For
    too long, the people of Sudan have endured slavery, violence, disease,
    and forced starvation. Last year, I appointed former Senator John
    Danforth as my envoy to help bring peace and
    stability to Sudan. Senator Danforth and others, working with regional
    governments, especially the Government of Kenya, have established an
    unprecedented opportunity to end the war in Sudan and to lay the
    foundations for a just and lasting peace.
        The Sudan Peace Act presses the parties in Sudan to seize this
    historic opportunity and to end the war and suffering. The Government of
    Sudan must choose between the path to peace and the path to continued
    war and destruction. If it makes the right choice, that course will mean
    improvement in the lives of all Sudanese, better bilateral relations
    with the United States, and the beginning of its reacceptance into the
    community of peace-loving nations.