Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006

Floor Speech

DARFUR PEACE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - April 05, 2006)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. This legislation is a much needed step towards ending the unprecedented tragedy taking place in Sudan, and its consideration today is long overdue.

Over the past 3 years, the world has watched as the situation in Darfur has escalated into an unprecedented humanitarian and human rights crisis. Since February 2003, civilians in the impoverished Darfur region of Sudan have been subject to indiscriminate killings, abductions, torture and rape at the hands of the Janjaweed--a lawless militia that has the alleged support of the Sudanese government. It is clear that the government of Sudan has offered their tacit approval for these attacks, and in many instances has engaged in air and ground strikes to augment the Janjaweed assaults on the people of Darfur.

The scope of this ongoing tragedy is hard to imagine. The numbers, unfortunately, speak for themselves. An estimated 3.5 million people are starving and some 2 million have been displaced from their homes, including hundreds of thousands who have fled to Chad for refuge. When then Secretary of State Colin Powell called the crisis in Darfur ``genocide'' in September 2004, an estimated 50,000 people had been killed. That number may now reach as high as 400,000 today, with 180,000 of these deaths occurring in the past 18 months alone according to the United Nations. These numbers continue to grow everyday; however we may never fully appreciate the enormous human toll these atrocities have taken on Sudan, the continent of Africa, and the world.

The atrocities taking place are nothing less than a human tragedy, a world wide cause that we cannot ignore--and yet the international community remains essentially paralyzed and unable to stop it. To date, there have been 8 rounds of peace talks, the deployment of 6,000 African Union troops, 6 U.N. Security Council resolutions and declarations of genocide by the administration and this Congress. Despite this pressure, the Sudanese government has steadfastly refused to take any constructive steps towards ending this humanitarian crisis.

As the leader of the free world and a role model for human rights and democracy, we must live up to our own example. To this end, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act takes several important steps toward increasing pressure on the government of Sudan to end the current crisis. Among its many provisions, this legislation strengthens sanctions on individuals and governments responsible for, or connected to, the atrocities in Darfur. It also provides strong support for the expansion of humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts in the region, and calls for the suspension of Sudan's membership in the United Nations. While this legislation alone will not end the atrocities in Darfur, it will send a strong message to Sudan and the world community that the U.S. is serious about bringing an end to the violence.

Many grassroots groups around the country, such as the Connecticut Coalition to Save Darfur, have been working to educate policymakers and the public on the urgent need for action in this troubled region of the world. Their efforts have ensured that the crisis in Darfur stays in the public mind and today's consideration of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act is a testament to their tireless work. I am proud to support this legislation, and strongly urge its quick approval in conference so that we can get this important bill to the President's desk without delay.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov/

Source