Declaring Genocide in Darfur, Sudan
DECLARING GENOCIDE IN DARFUR, SUDAN -- (House of Representatives - July 21, 2004)
Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 467) declaring genocide in Darfur, Sudan, as amended.
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Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde); the ranking member, gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos); the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers); the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo); the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf); the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky); and all of those on both sides of the aisle who have been working so hard to bring this genocide to the attention of our own government and to the world. We have people who are working very hard to get something done.
My heart is heavy this evening because it has taken us much too long. I know that the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) did give a word of thanks to Colin Powell and Kofi Annan for making the trip and for urging the Khartoum government to cooperate and stop the genocide. But I say to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), we have to ask Colin Powell and Kofi Annan and the President of the United States to get tougher. They have got to get tougher. We are watching genocide take place.
I am pleased about this resolution. Genocide has taken place in this world far too many times, genocide that could have been stopped if good people just took a little tougher action.
We have watched genocide time and time again, in most recent of times, Rwanda. This does not have to continue. Over 30,000 people have died; 1 million people stand to die as I stand here today.
So it is time to act and act now. We must first recognize that the Khartoum government is part of the problem. They keep making promises, but they lie. The minute they say they are going to cooperate, we turn our backs, they are supporting the Janjaweed. They are indeed a part of the problem. We must act, we must act now, and we must be tough. We can stop this genocide.
Tonight, we define it for what it is with this resolution. Thank you, I say to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). It is genocide. Let the word go forth, and it must be stopped.