[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 24 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. CON. RES. 24
Condemning the hostilities in Sudan and standing with the people of
Sudan in their calls for peace and their democratic aspirations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 19, 2023
Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Risch) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Condemning the hostilities in Sudan and standing with the people of
Sudan in their calls for peace and their democratic aspirations.
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
7,000,000 people, including 3,000,000 children, displaced since the war
began, and over half of the population in Sudan needs humanitarian
assistance;
Whereas widespread rape and sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war,
and over 4,200,000 women and girls in Sudan are at risk for sexual
violence according to the United Nations;
Whereas Sudan was identified by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's
Early Warning Project 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 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 impunity for violations of international humanitarian law has
characterized the conflict in Sudan;
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 were immediately violated;
Whereas, in October 2023, the United National Human Rights Council adopted a
resolution establishing an independent Fact-Finding Mission with a
mandate to investigate abuses committed in the context of the war in
Sudan;
Whereas leadership in neither the SAF or RSF represent the people of Sudan nor
have a legitimate claim to leadership of the country, and there is no
military solution to the political situation in Sudan;
Whereas reports indicate some international actors have taken actions that
constitute repeated violations of the existing United Nations arms
embargo for Darfur; and
Whereas the outbreak of hostilities has destabilized Sudan, and represents a
threat to regional stability more broadly: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),
That Congress--
(1) condemns the hostilities in Sudan since April 15, 2023,
the brazen and brutal 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 Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese
Armed Forces (SAF) to--
(A) permanently cease hostilities;
(B) stop attacks on civilians;
(C) remove all roadblocks and checkpoints, and
allow for the safe passage of civilians and the
unfettered delivery of humanitarian assistance; and
(D) comply with international humanitarian law and
cease all atrocities against civilians;
(4) calls on the President to name an experienced, high
level United States Special Envoy for Sudan, that reports
directly to the President or the Secretary of State, to
coordinate a comprehensive United States policy and diplomatic
efforts and to work with international partners to address the
complex crisis in Sudan;
(5) calls on the Secretary of State to--
(A) regularly review and update the atrocities
determination for Sudan, to include whether atrocities
committed constitute genocide;
(B) provide continued assistance to organizations
documenting violations of international humanitarian
law, and to share, as appropriate, information with
international bodies investigating atrocities,
including war crimes and crimes against humanity;
(C) support enhanced end use monitoring of weapons
sold by the United States to determine if United States
defense articles, defense services, or any other type
of security sector assistance have been diverted to the
SAF and RSF;
(D) coordinate with--
(i) the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development on efforts
to establish and maintain humanitarian access,
and to support an inclusive, civilian-led
political dialogue;
(ii) the Department of the Treasury to
develop a comprehensive strategy utilizing
existing sanctions authorities applicable to
Sudan, with priority given to the designation
of the leadership in the RSF and SAF, and to
actors which supply, or facilitate the supply
of arms and materiel to belligerents, for
targeted sanctions; and
(iii) 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
(E) work, through a high level United States
Special Envoy for Sudan, with partners to engage
members of the international community to join United
States efforts to end the conflict and promote
accountability, including by setting clear criteria for
establishing a more inclusive alternative to the Jeddah
talks; and
(6) calls on international allies and partners,
particularly neighboring countries and partners in the Gulf
Cooperation Council and others with direct interests in the
Sudan conflict, to--
(A) join United States efforts to--
(i) pressure the parties to cease
hostilities;
(ii) explore options to protect civilians
from mass atrocities;
(iii) empower Sudanese civilians to
establish a path toward a peaceful democratic
transition;
(iv) support the establishment of credible
mechanisms for accountability;
(v) 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, and actors who supply or facilitate
the supply of arms and materiel to either
party;
(vi) take steps, as appropriate, including
through imposition of sanctions, to pressure
belligerents to return to the rule of law as
set forth by the transitional constitution and
immediately cease violations of existing United
Nations arms embargoes and to deter any effort
by external parties to support parties
financially or with arms and materiel; and
(vii) provide robust in-kind and financial
contributions to humanitarian assistance
efforts; and
(B) suspend Sudan's participation in all regional
and multilateral organizations until a civilian-led
government is established.
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