HJ0056 LRB094 12273 HSS 46035 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, More than two years into the crisis, the western
3 Sudanese region of Darfur is acknowledged to be a humanitarian
4 and human rights tragedy of the first order; as many as 10,000
5 people - overwhelmingly civilians - are dying every month; a
6 total of 370,000 people have died in the conflict; and
 
7     WHEREAS, The humanitarian, security, and political
8 situations continue to deteriorate; atrocity crimes are
9 continuing; people are still dying in large numbers of
10 malnutrition and disease; and a new famine is feared; the
11 international community is failing to protect civilians or to
12 influence the Sudanese government to do so; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The UN Commission of Inquiry on Darfur described
14 the massive scope of atrocities carried out in the territory,
15 primarily by the government and its allied Janjaweed militias,
16 and the situation on the ground shows a number of negative
17 trends, which have been developing since the last quarter of
18 2004: deteriorating security, including the targeting of
19 humanitarian workers; a credible threat of famine; mounting
20 civilian casualties; the cease-fire in shambles; the
21 negotiation process at a standstill; the rebel movements
22 beginning to splinter; and new armed movements appearing in
23 Darfur and neighboring states; chaos and a culture of impunity
24 are taking root in the region; and
 
25     WHEREAS, At the end of March 2005, the UN Security Council
26 passed three resolutions on various aspects of the Sudan
27 crisis, establishing the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), extending
28 the arms embargo in Darfur to include the government, and
29 referring the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal
30 Court; despite these resolutions, the situation in Sudan
31 remains grave and even stronger measures are needed to restore
32 security and prevent further mass deaths; more effective

 

 

HJ0056 - 2 - LRB094 12273 HSS 46035 r

1 measures are also needed to preserve and implement the peace
2 deal that was signed on January 9, 2005, to end the long war
3 between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation
4 Army/Movement (SPLM); proactive measures are still needed to
5 forestall the outbreak of a serious new civil conflict in the
6 eastern part of the country; and
 
7     WHEREAS, To this end, key international organizations and
8 concerned governments should urgently agree and coordinate at a
9 high level on what is necessary, without regard to
10 institutional prerogatives or national prestige; therefore, be
11 it
 
12     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
14 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge President George W. Bush
15 and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to recognize
16 the conflict in the Darfur region of the Sudan as genocide and
17 to intervene; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That we urge President Bush to send humanitarian
19 aid to the Sudan; and be it further
 
20     RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to
21 President George W. Bush and to United Nations
22 Secretary-General Kofi Annan.