Cummings: It is Past Time to Transform Our Commitments into Action Regarding Darfur
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings today joined Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and several of their other colleagues, in introducing the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2006. This bill would ban the government of the United States from doing business with firms that also maintain business connections in Sudan or elsewhere that are deemed to support the continuation of the genocide. He released the following statement:
"The conflict in Darfur has killed more than 450,000 people and displaced approximately more than 2.5 million more. The United States has joined many members of the international community in declaring this conflict genocide. Unfortunately, the African Union force currently in Darfur has been unable to protect fleeing civilians, and the government of Sudan refuses to allow United Nation's peacekeepers to enter the country.
"It is urgent that the international community come together to take decisive action to save the lives of those in Darfur, most of whom are of African heritage. So many times when genocides or ethnic cleansings have occurred in the past, the world has vowed never to let it happen again. Unfortunately, it is happening now, and the world is doing very little to stop this terrible killing. It is past time to transform our commitments into action.
"In the absence of the deployment of needed peacekeepers, the bill that was introduced today is an effort to ensure that firms reaping economic gain from commerce with those perpetuating this genocide cannot do business with the U.S. government. The bill would also require the government to produce a list of such companies whose business supports the genocide, so that their involvement can be publicly known.
"I urge my colleagues to move quickly to adopt the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2006 and to support the effort to end the genocide in Darfur."
http://www.house.gov/cummings/press/06sep21a.htm