III
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 432
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 28, 2008
Mr. Biden (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Levin, Mr. Feingold, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Burr, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Isakson, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Smith, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Casey, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
February 8 (legislative day, February 6), 2008
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Urging the international community to provide the United Nations-African Union Mission in Sudan with essential tactical and utility helicopters.
Whereas, on August 30, 2006, the United Nations Security
Council approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706, providing
that the existing United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) shall take
over from [the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS)] responsibility for supporting
the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement upon the expiration of AMIS'
mandate but in any event no later than 31 December 2006
;
Whereas, on July 31, 2007, the United Nations Security
Council approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769 reaffirming
Resolution 1706 and stating that the Security Council [d]ecides … to
authorise and mandate the establishment … of an AU/UN Hybrid operation in
Darfur (UNAMID) … [and] [d]ecides that UNAMID, which shall incorporate AMIS
personnel and the UN Heavy and Light Support Packages to AMIS, shall consist of
up to 19,555 military personnel, including 360 military observers and liaison
officers, and an appropriate civilian component including up to 3,772 police
personnel and 19 formed police units comprising up to 140 personnel
each
;
Whereas, on December 31, 2007, the United Nations-African Union hybrid mission formally assumed control of peacekeeping operations in Darfur, but did so with only approximately 9,000 troops and police on the ground, far short of both the authorized and necessary levels;
Whereas the Government of Sudan continues to obstruct implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1706 and 1769 in several respects, including by refusing to conclude a Status of Forces Agreement or to cooperate on issues such as the force composition, the authorization of night flights, customs clearance, land access, and visas for staff;
Whereas, on January 7, 2008, uniformed elements of the army of Sudan attacked a clearly marked UNAMID supply convoy, severely wounding a Sudanese civilian driver;
Whereas rebels, militias, government forces, bandits, and others continue to prey upon the people of Darfur and upon humanitarian workers, increasing the urgency of both deploying the full complement of peacekeepers and police and of reaching a lasting political settlement;
Whereas the preliminary results of a United Nations
assessment entitled the Food Security and Nutrition Assessment of the
Conflict-Affected Population of Darfur (August/September 2007)
reveal
that global acute malnutrition in Darfur increased in 2007, exceeding emergency
levels in some regions;
Whereas the United Nations-African Union Mission in Sudan has been hampered not only by obstruction by the Government of Sudan and other obstacles to peace in the region, but by the failure of the international community to commit the resources, equipment, and personnel needed to carry out the peacekeeping mission, most notably the failure to provide critically needed aviation and transportation assets;
Whereas the United Nations-African Union Mission in Sudan needs, among other critical mobility capabilities that have not been met, 18 utility helicopters and 6 tactical helicopters and crews;
Whereas, in a report to the Security Council dated
December 24, 2007, the Secretary-General termed these helicopters indispensable
and stated that UNAMID must be capable of rapid mobility over large
distances, especially over terrain where roads are the exception. Without the
missing helicopters, this mobility—a fundamental requirement for the
implementation of the UNAMID mandate—will not be possible.
;
Whereas a large number of countries possess the military assets that could help to fulfill this requirement;
Whereas the United States continues to lead the world in its contributions to efforts to end the genocide in Darfur, including by providing more than $4,500,000,000 since 2004 in response to the Darfur crisis;
Whereas continued failure on the part of the international community to take all steps necessary to generate, deploy, and maintain an effective United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping force will result in the continued loss of life and further degradation of humanitarian infrastructure in Darfur; and
Whereas it would be inexcusable for the international community to allow an authorized peacekeeping mission intended to help bring an end to genocide and its effects to founder or be compromised because of a failure to commit critical elements, such as the 24 helicopters needed to meet the critical mobility capabilities of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Sudan: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
urges the members of the international community, including the United States, that possess the capability to provide the tactical and utility helicopters needed for the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur to do so as soon as possible; and
urges the President to intervene personally by contacting other heads of state and asking them to contribute the aircraft and crews for the Darfur mission.