House Condemns Human Rights Abuses in Sudan

On May 17, the House approved, 360-1, a resolution (H. Con. Res. 403) condemning the government of Sudan for its attacks against innocent civilians in Darfur. The House International Relations Committee approved the resolution on May 6 (see The Source, 5/7/04).

Sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• Since early 2003 a conflict between forces of the government of the Republic of the Sudan and rebel forces in the impoverished Darfur region of western Sudan has resulted in attacks by Sudanese government ground and air forces against innocent civilians and undefended villages in the region;
• Sudanese government forces also have 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;
• Nearly 3 million people affected by the conflict in the Darfur region have remained beyond the reach of aid agencies trying to provide essential humanitarian assistance;
• UN 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 internally displaced in the past year.

The resolution calls on the Sudanese government to grant full, unconditional and immediate access to humanitarian aid organizations and an international monitoring team. The resolution also calls for a UN-sponsored investigation into crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Describing the crisis in Darfur as “one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes on the planet,” Rep. Mark Green (R-WI) stated, “The Committee on Conscience of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has issued a ‘Genocide Alert’ for Darfur. This crisis is the direct result of actions taken by the Government of Sudan. It is incumbent upon the Congress to condemn these actions and to urge the administration to take steps to aid the victims and punish those responsible for the atrocities.”

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) agreed. “We must do what is necessary to end this conflict in Sudan and to bring security to the long suffering people of Darfur. If Khartoum continues its intransigence, the President should consider target sanctions against those responsible for these atrocities and undertake extraordinary measures to get food, medicine, clothing, and shelter to those in desperate need. Our credibility and our reputation as a humane Nation depend on this. We do not have the luxury of failure.”