OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Calling For the Suspension of Sudan's Membership on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights

Date: Sept. 22, 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Foreign Affairs


CALLING FOR THE SUSPENSION OF SUDAN'S MEMBERSHIP ON THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2004)

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 137) calling for the suspension of Sudan's membership on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

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Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I am pleased to support the resolution before us today and to add my voice to those speaking out against the brutality the world is witnessing in Sudan. This Congress has repeatedly condemned both the atrocities committed by the Janjaweed militia and the Sudanese government's insufficient response to such horrendous acts. Since violence began in the Darfur region in February 2003, tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than a million have been displaced from their homes. Sadly, despite repeated calls from the international community, the Sudanese government has not reined in the militia groups, and the killing continues. The World Health Organization now estimates that between 6,000 and 10,000 are dying every month from violence and disease.

It is unfortunate that we must again come to the floor to express our collective outrage about the situation in Sudan. I was pleased that the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution last week that establishes an inquiry into the violence in the Darfur region to determine whether it constitutes genocide. The resolution also threatens sanctions against Sudan, a tool we must seriously consider if we do not witness rapid improvements. However, the strong sentiments expressed in the U.N. Security Council Resolution are undermined by the fact that Sudan still holds a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission-even while its government betrays the very principles on which the Commission was founded. The resolution before us today is a clear condemnation of this glaring inconsistency and will place greater pressure on the Sudanese government to act responsibly and protect its citizens from harm. I urge my colleagues to support S. Con. Res 137.

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