Commends the efforts of former Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in Darfur and the contributions of White House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson, Ambassador Cindy Courville, and Ambassador Michael Ranneberger.
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States needs an individual of Ambassadorial rank and high stature to devote exclusive attention to Darfur and related issues concerning peace and stability in Sudan; (2) such individual should formulate and coordinate policy, lead negotiations, engage with parties to the conflict to monitor their compliance with the May 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement, gather donor resources, and ensure that this crisis remains a top U.S. government priority; and (3) the President should appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan with the rank of Ambassador and should provide not less than $250,000 to support the Presidential Special Envoy.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 531 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 531
To urge the President to appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for
Sudan.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 14, 2006
Mr. Lieberman (for himself, Mr. Burns, Mr. Reid, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Murray,
Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Talent, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Snowe, and Ms.
Cantwell) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
To urge the President to appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for
Sudan.
Whereas, on July 22, 2004, the Senate and House of Representatives declared that
the atrocities occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan are genocide;
Whereas, on September 9, 2004, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell stated before
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, ``When we reviewed the
evidence compiled by our team, along with other information available to
the State Department, we concluded that genocide has been committed in
Darfur and that the Government of Sudan and the [Janjaweed] bear
responsibility--and genocide may still be occurring.'';
Whereas, on September 21, 2004, in an address before the United Nations General
Assembly, President George W. Bush affirmed the finding of Secretary of
State Powell and stated, ``At this hour, the world is witnessing
terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan,
crimes my government has concluded are genocide.'';
Whereas various nongovernmental organizations have estimated that up to 400,000
people have died in Darfur from combat, hunger, and disease since
February 2003;
Whereas prominent human rights groups, think tanks, and members of Congress have
called for the appointment of a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan;
Whereas Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, who had acted as the lead
negotiator and coordinator for the United States Government toward
Darfur, resigned from that position on June 19, 2006;
Whereas Ambassador Zoellick was instrumental in securing the peace agreement
among the Government of Sudan and rebel factions on May 5, 2006, and was
described by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as ``indispensable in
our efforts to bring peace to Sudan and to end the violence in Darfur'';
Whereas other United States Government officials deeply involved in Darfur are
departing public service or moving to new positions, including White
House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson, National Security Council Senior
Director for African Affairs Cindy Courville, and the State Department
Special Representative to Sudan Michael Ranneberger; and
Whereas the crisis in Darfur, and generally Sudan, continues to command urgent
attention due to the ongoing displacement of roughly 2,500,000 people,
the continuing instability in the region, the fragility of the May 5,
2006, peace accord, the spread of the conflict to neighboring Chad, the
lack of security that prevents multilateral organizations and
nongovernmental organizations from providing assistance to the most
vulnerable displaced persons of Darfur, the reluctance by the Government
of Sudan to allow a robust United Nations presence in that country, and
the difficulties involved in assisting the African Union Mission in
Sudan and transitioning that body into a United Nations force: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the Senate commends the efforts of former Deputy
Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in Darfur and the
contributions of White House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson,
Ambassador Cindy Courville, and Ambassador Michael Ranneberger;
and
(2) it is the sense of the Senate that--
(A) the United States urgently needs an individual
of Ambassadorial rank and high stature to devote
exclusive attention to Darfur and related issues
concerning peace and stability in Sudan;
(B) such individual should formulate and coordinate
policy, lead negotiations, engage with parties to the
conflict to monitor their compliance with the terms and
deadlines of the May 5, 2006, Darfur Peace Agreement,
gather resources from donors, and ensure that this
crisis retains high visibility and remains a top
priority for the United States Government until it is
substantially resolved; and
(C) the President should, at the earliest date
possible, appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for
Sudan with the rank of Ambassador and should provide
not less than $250,000, to support the Presidential
Special Envoy, in accordance with Senate Amendment 3719
to H.R. 4939 of the 109th Congress, as agreed to in the
Senate on May 3, 2006.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7562-7563)
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