[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 982 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 982
Condemning the continued violence in Sudan and calling on the
international community to unequivocally support diplomatic efforts to
achieve a cessation of hostilities, ensure the protection of civilians
and secure unfettered access for humanitarian aid.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 29, 2024
Mr. McCaul (for himself, Mr. Meeks, Mr. James, Ms. Jacobs, Mrs. Kim of
California, and Mr. Kildee) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning the continued violence in Sudan and calling on the
international community to unequivocally support diplomatic efforts to
achieve a cessation of hostilities, ensure the protection of civilians
and secure unfettered access for humanitarian aid.
Whereas, on April 15, 2023, hostilities broke out in Sudan between the Rapid
Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force formed from the Janjaweed
militia that committed acts of genocide in Darfur since 2003, and the
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which like the RSF has a history of
committing atrocities both in Sudan's civil wars and against pro-
democracy protestors from 2019-2022;
Whereas, according to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on April
17, 2023, just days following the outbreak of fighting, the humanitarian
situation in Sudan was ``already precarious and is now catastrophic'';
Whereas, on April 23, 2023, the United States temporarily suspended operations
at its embassy in Khartoum and evacuated embassy personnel from the
country;
Whereas the war has created the world's largest displacement crisis, with over 7
million people, including 3 million children, displaced since the war
began, and over half of the Sudanese population needs humanitarian
assistance;
Whereas widespread rape and sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war,
and over 4.2 million women and girls in Sudan are at risk for sexual
violence according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs;
Whereas the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Early Warning Project
identified Sudan as one of the top ten countries at risk for new mass
killings in its 2022-2023 report, and the Museum warned in June 2023
about the dire risk of genocide in Darfur;
Whereas Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued an atrocities determination for
Sudan on December 6, 2023, finding that the SAF and RSF have committed
war crimes in Sudan, and that the RSF and allied militias have committed
crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing;
Whereas the United States and Saudi Arabia have engaged in multiple rounds of
``emergency diplomacy'' in Jeddah since May, during which the parties to
the conflict have repeatedly made confidence-building, ceasefire and
humanitarian commitments that parties immediately violated;
Whereas the leadership in the SAF and RSF do not represent the people of Sudan,
and there is no military solution to the political situation in Sudan;
Whereas credible reports indicate that the United Arab Emirates is violating the
existing UN arms embargo for Darfur;
Now, therefore, be it:
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the hostilities in Sudan since April 15, 2023,
the attacks on civilians, including systemic use of rape as a
weapon of war, and the widespread destruction of civilian
residences, businesses, and infrastructure;
(2) stands with the people of Sudan in their calls for
peace and their democratic aspirations;
(3) calls for the RSF and SAF to permanently cease
hostilities, stop attacks on civilians and allow for their safe
passage, and allow for the unfettered delivery of humanitarian
assistance;
(4) calls on the President to name an experienced, high
level U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Sudan, that reports
directly to the President or the Secretary of State, to
coordinate U.S. policy and diplomatic efforts and to work with
international partners to address the complex crisis in Sudan,
including by establishing a more inclusive alternative to the
Jeddah talks;
(5) calls on the Secretary of State to--
(A) continue to regularly review and update the
atrocities determination for Sudan, to include whether
atrocities committed constitute genocide;
(B) deepen coordination with the Department of the
Treasury to develop a comprehensive sanctions strategy
for Sudan, including on the leadership in the RSF and
SAF, and those actors involved in the supply of arms
and materiel to belligerents;
(C) continue to coordinate with the United States
Permanent Representative to the United Nations to
ensure the United Nations Security Council reports
violations of the Darfur arms embargo, and works to
prioritize efforts to protect civilians, and to pursue
efforts to establish a credible mechanism for
accountability for atrocities, including any that may
constitute genocide, war crimes, or crimes against
humanity; and
(D) support enhanced end use monitoring of weapons
sold by the United States to determine if U.S. defense
articles, services, or any type of security sector
assistance have been diverted to the SAF and RSF;
(6) calls on the Secretary of State to work with regional
actors and international partners, including the United Arab
Emirates and Egypt, to--
(A) support regional and international efforts to
cease hostilities and explore options to protect
civilians from mass atrocities;
(B) empower Sudanese civilians to establish a path
toward a peaceful and inclusive democratic transition;
(C) support the establishment of credible
mechanisms for accountability;
(D) impose targeted sanctions on SAF and RSF
members who are responsible for violations of
international humanitarian law, corruption, and
undermining Sudan's transition to democracy, as well as
actors who supply, or facilitate the supply, of arms
and materiel to either party; and
(E) suspend Sudan's participation in all regional
and multilateral organizations until a civilian-led
government is established.
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