[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 403 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 403
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 18, 2004
Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Condemning the Government of the Republic of the Sudan for its attacks
against innocent civilians in the impoverished Darfur region of western
Sudan.
Whereas, since early 2003, a conflict between forces of the Government of the
Republic of the Sudan, including militia forces backed by the
Government, and rebel forces in the impoverished Darfur region of
western Sudan has resulted in attacks by ground and air forces of the
Government of Sudan against innocent civilians and undefended villages
in the region;
Whereas Sudanese Government forces and government supported militia forces have
also engaged in the use of rape as a weapon of war, the abduction of
children, the destruction of food and water sources, and the deliberate
and systematic manipulation and denial of humanitarian assistance for
the people of the Darfur region;
Whereas, on December 18, 2003, United Nations Undersecretary General for
Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland declared that the Darfur region was
probably ``the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe'', and in April
2004 reported to the United Nations Security Council that in Darfur, ``a
sequence of deliberate actions has been observed that seem aimed at
achieving a specific objective: the forcible and long-term displacement
of the targeted communities which may also be termed `ethnic
cleansing''';
Whereas, on February 17, 2004, Amnesty International reported that it
``continues to receive details of horrifying attacks against civilians
in villages by government warplanes, soldiers, and pro-government
militia'';
Whereas, on February 18, 2004, United Nations Special Envoy for Humanitarian
Affairs in Sudan Tom Eric Vraalsen declared, following a trip to the
Darfur region, that ``aid workers are unable to reach the vast majority
[of the displaced]'';
Whereas Doctors Without Borders, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning medical
humanitarian relief organization and one of the few aid groups on the
ground in the Darfur region, reported that the region is the scene of
``catastrophic mortality rates'';
Whereas, on April 20, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights delayed the release of a report citing gross human rights
abuses, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed in Darfur in a
bid to gain access to Sudan for investigators;
Whereas the Government of Sudan continues to deny humanitarian assistance for
the people of the Darfur region by denying them unrestricted access to
humanitarian aid organizations;
Whereas attacks on civilians in Darfur continue despite an April 8, 2004,
temporary cease-fire agreement;
Whereas nearly 3,000,000 people affected by the conflict in the Darfur region
have remained beyond the reach of aid agencies trying to provide
essential humanitarian assistance, and United Nations aid agencies
estimate that they have been able to reach only 15 percent of people in
need and that more than 700,000 people have been displaced within Sudan
in the past year; and
Whereas the United States delegation to the 60th Session of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights sponsored a resolution condemning the
Government of Sudan for grave violations of human rights and
humanitarian law occurring in the Darfur region: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) strongly condemns the Government of the Republic of the
Sudan and militia groups supported by the Government of Sudan
for attacks against innocent civilians in the impoverished
Darfur region of western Sudan, in violation of Article 3 of
the Geneva Conventions, done at Geneva August 12, 1949, and
entered into force October 21, 1950, which specifically
prohibit attacks on civilians, and demands that the Government
of Sudan immediately take actions to cease these attacks;
(2) urges the Government of Sudan to immediately disarm and
disband government supported militia groups;
(3) urges the Government of Sudan and all parties to honor
commitments made in the cease-fire agreement of April 8, 2004;
(4) calls on the Government of Sudan to grant full,
unconditional, and immediate access to Darfur to humanitarian
aid organizations, the human rights investigation and
humanitarian teams of the United Nations, including protection
officers, and an international monitoring team in compliance
with the temporary cease-fire agreement that is based in Darfur
and has the support of the United States and the European
Union;
(5) encourages the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development to work with donors to
immediately deliver humanitarian assistance to Darfur,
including the delivery of food by air if necessary;
(6) calls on the Secretary of State to develop a plan for
further bilateral and multilateral action in the event the
Government of Sudan fails to immediately undertake the actions
called for in paragraph (3), including a plan to seek a
Security Council resolution addressing the Darfur situation;
(7) deplores the inaction of some member states of the
United Nations and the failure of the United Nations Human
Rights Commission to take strong action with respect to the
crisis in Darfur;
(8) urges the President to direct the United States
Representative to the United Nations to--
(A) seek an official investigation by the United
Nations to determine if crimes against humanity have
been committed by the Government of Sudan and
government-supported militia groups in the Darfur
region; and
(B) work with the international community to ensure
that the individuals responsible for crimes against
humanity in Darfur are held accountable for their
actions; and
(9) strongly urges the President to impose targeted
sanctions, including a ban on travel to the United States and
freezing of personal assets, against officials and other
individuals of the Government of Sudan, as well as Janjaweed
militia commanders, who are responsible for war crimes and
crimes against humanity in the Darfur region.
Passed the House of Representatives May 17, 2004.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.