Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011--Motion to Proceed--Continued

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I rise this evening to call attention to the disturbing developments in Sudan and the newly created nation of South Sudan. I fear the ongoing violence there risks undermining the progress that has been made for lasting peace after decades of civil war and bloodshed.

It has been indeed a historic year for the people of South Sudan. Almost 3 months ago, on July 9, South Sudan was formally recognized as a sovereign nation, becoming Africa's 54th state. An overwhelming 98.8 percent of South Sudanese voters chose independence from the central government of Sudan in the referendum held this January. For the millions of people whose lifetimes have known only war, the hope of a better future was finally on the horizon.

Like many, I was cautiously encouraged by the news that the South Sudanese decided to take a path toward democracy and toward justice. Like many, I realized this path would be a difficult one as conflict persists in Darfur and other areas around the border, such as Abyei, Blue Nile, and Southern Kordofan.

Unfortunately, recent reports of violence confirm the tenuous relationship between north and south that exists in the wake of independence. Escalating unrest points to the abandonment of peaceful negotiations by the north and a return to military intimidation and fighting. Tragically, civilians have been caught in the crossfire.

According to a post from CNN in late July, hospitals in the Nuba Mountains are overflowing with civilians who have been hurt in attacks by the northern army. This is how the report describes the scene:

In one hospital room a nurse tried to clean the blown apart face of a young boy. In another, a 12-year-old girl suffered from advanced tetanus after her arm was cut off by shrapnel. Doctors said she had little chance of surviving.

This violence, affecting innocent children, is unacceptable. Attacks against civilians are among a number of violations that have been cited by the United Nations against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's government, which denies the allegations and insists it is only fighting rebels loyal to South Sudan.

In a report this summer, the United Nations suggests the attacks by Sudanese Armed Forces in the border state of Southern Kordofan have amounted to human rights violations and war crimes. Most of the violence there is affecting the Nuba people, a mostly Christian minority aligned with South Sudan but left on the opposite side of the border. Thousands have been forced to flee to caves for refuge in the Nuba Mountains. Even more worrisome is that the violence is spreading. In May, the Sudanese Armed Forces invaded the disputed area of Abyei and displaced an estimated 100,000, among them nearly 4,000 children. Just last month, the Sudanese Parliament authorized military action in nearby Blue Nile.

We should not forget the legacy of President Bashir's dictatorial regime as these atrocities continue to mount. Mr. Bashir has already been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes over the conflict in Darfur, and the United States continues to impose sanctions on the northern government.

The full extent of the violence in the border areas between Sudan and South Sudan is hard to determine because U.N. agencies and humanitarian groups have been denied access. But this is no excuse for ignoring the warning signs of a dangerous predicament. All too often, we recognize crises after far too many lives have been lost.

What we do know about the current situation is ominous. The African Center For Justice and Peace Studies says supporters of the Sudan People's Liberation Army-North are being arbitrarily arrested on the basis of their perceived political affiliation and subject to extrajudicial killings. Refugees have described execution-style murders. International calls for the northern government to cease its aerial bombings have been blatantly ignored. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, reports that more than 100,000 people are thought to be displaced by fighting in Blue Nile alone. The U.N. estimates for South Kordofan top 200,000 displaced persons. Just last month, an article in the New York Times reported that a satellite imagery project monitoring parts of Sudan had captured images of mass graves.

We have always known South Sudan would face serious challenges this year and in the coming years as a free independent nation. What we cannot allow is its democratic future to hang in the balance as old scores are reignited and innocent lives are lost. Let's not forget the horrors of the civil war that ensued for 22 years before President George W. Bush engineered the comprehensive peace agreement in 2005. During that civil war, more than 2 million died, more than 4 million were displaced, and 600,000 fled the country as refugees.

I urge my colleagues not to lose focus on the hundreds of thousands of people who have been unfairly hurt by this violence. They have already endured far too much suffering. I join the U.S. State Department in its call for the hostilities to stop and for responsible dialog to resume. The longer the violence continues, the harder it will be to move forward toward lasting peace.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source