On November 18, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a bill (S. 1462) that would impose sanctions against individuals responsible for genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations approved a similar measure (H.R. 3127) on July 21 (see The Source, 7/22/05).
Sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act finds that “on July 22, 2004, the House of Representatives and the Senate declared that the atrocities occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan are genocide.” The measure also notes that the United Nations (UN) International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur established that the “Government of Sudan and the Janjaweed are responsible for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law amounting to crimes under international law;” that “these acts were conducted on a widespread and systematic basis, and therefore may amount to crimes against humanity;” and that Sudanese officials and other individuals may have acted with “genocidal intent.” Finally, the bill states that “in remarks before the G-8 Summit on June 30, 2005, President Bush reconfirmed that ‘the violence in Darfur is clearly genocide’ and ‘the human cost is beyond calculation.’”
S. 1462 would grant President Bush the authority to block the assets of any individual responsible for acts of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Sudan, and deny visas and entry into the United States for any responsible individuals, their family members, or associates. The measure also would authorize President Bush to provide assistance to reinforce the deployment and operations of an expanded African Union Mission in Sudan. Finally, the bill would urge the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution seeking sanctions against the Sudanese government, while supporting efforts for peace in the region.
Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) said that “it has been 15 months since the Congress declared the atrocities in Darfur to be genocide, and over a year since the administration made the same declaration. Yet far too little has been done to live up to our moral obligation to actually save lives. Fellow human beings are being mercilessly slaughtered. We have the capacity to protect them. If we do not, history will forever condemn our failure. That is what this bill is about.” He added, “Darfur must be a priority. The United States has faced resistance to multilateral sanctions against Sudan. But the answer is not to give up. The issue should be raised in bilateral and multilateral settings. Countries that do business with Sudan and seek to shield the government from sanctions need to understand that we are absolutely committed to stopping the genocide and that our bilateral relations are at stake.”
