Condemning the Attacks on African Union Peacekeepers in Haskanita, Darfur, Sudan, on September 29, 2007

Floor Speech

CONDEMNING ATTACKS ON AFRICAN UNION PEACEKEEPERS IN HASKANITA, DARFUR, SUDAN, ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2007 -- (House of Representatives - October 29, 2007)

Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 740) condemning in the strongest terms the attacks on African Union peacekeepers that occurred in Haskanita, Darfur, Sudan, on September 29, 2007, as amended.

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Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me thank Congresswoman SHEILA JACKSON-LEE for introducing this resolution, which condemns the recent vicious and deadly assault on African Union forces.

On September 29, 2007, an estimated 1,000 members of a heavily armed group of Darfur rebels overran a small African Union base in Haskanita in Darfur. Ten peacekeepers were brutally killed, seven wounded, and 50 others are missing. Seven of those killed were Nigerian soldiers. The other three were unarmed military observers and civilian police officers from Mali, Senegal, and Botswana. With consideration of this resolution today, the U.S. Congress sends its condolences to their respective governments and to their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice in a war far from their native soil.

While the nations of the world deplore the war in Darfur and have provided significant humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced persons, we still have not demonstrated the will to end this crisis. The United Nations is intensely lobbying countries to provide helicopters for a U.N. African Union peacekeeping force, one of many obstacles to starting the mission. According to recent reports, no country has made a credible offer to provide the 24 transport and attack helicopters needed for the 26,000-strong force.

This lack of helicopters, in part, accounts for the deadly attack on AU troops.

After Rwanda, the world said, never again, never again would we stand by and let another genocide take place; yet we continue to fail in Darfur. For over 4 years now, we have failed.

Today, our Congress calls upon our allies and friends to help put an end to this nightmare. We call on the Sudanese Government, its militia and rebel forces to take up seriously peace negotiations in that part of the world.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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