[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 470 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 470
Calling on the relevant governments, multilateral bodies, and non-state
actors in Chad, the Central African Republic, and Sudan to devote ample
political commitment and material resources towards the achievement and
implementation of a negotiated resolution to the national and regional
conflicts in Chad, the Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 4, 2008
Mr. Feingold (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Levin, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Kerry,
Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Brown, Mr. Cardin, Mr.
Leahy, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Biden, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Dodd,
Mr. Isakson, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Landrieu, Ms.
Stabenow, Mr. Brownback, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Martinez) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
April 14, 2008
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Calling on the relevant governments, multilateral bodies, and non-state
actors in Chad, the Central African Republic, and Sudan to devote ample
political commitment and material resources towards the achievement and
implementation of a negotiated resolution to the national and regional
conflicts in Chad, the Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan.
Whereas armed groups have been moving freely among Sudan, Chad, and the Central
African Republic, committing murder, banditry, forced recruitment, mass
displacement, gender-based violence, and other crimes that are
contributing to insecurity and instability throughout the region,
exacerbating the humanitarian crises in these countries and obstructing
efforts to end violence in the Darfur region of Sudan and adjacent
areas;
Whereas, on February 2, 2008, rebels stormed the capital of Chad, N'Djamena, in
their second coup attempt in two years, prompting clashes with forces
loyal to President of Chad Idriss Deby that caused more than 100
civilian deaths, thousands of displacements, and an estimated 10,000
refugees from Chad to seek refuge in neighboring Cameroon;
Whereas, on February 2, 2008, the United States Embassy in N'Djamena was forced
to evacuate employees' families and all nonemergency staff and urged
United States citizens to defer all travel to Chad;
Whereas, on February 2, 2008, the United States Government condemned the armed
attack on N'Djamena and expressed ``support [for] the [African Union]'s
call for an immediate end to armed attacks and to refrain from violence
that might harm innocent civilians'';
Whereas, on February 12, 2008, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) reported that recent offensives by the Government of Sudan in
Darfur have prompted up to 12,000 new refugees to flee to neighboring
Chad, where the UNHCR and its partners are already struggling to take
care of 240,000 refugees from Sudan in eastern Chad and some 50,000
refugees from the Central African Republic in southern Chad;
Whereas cross-border attacks by alleged Arab militias from Sudan and related
inter-communal ethnic hostilities in eastern Chad have also resulted in
the displacement of an estimated 170,000 people from Chad in the region,
adding to the humanitarian need;
Whereas there have been allegations and evidence in both Chad and Sudan of
government support for dissident rebel militias in each other's country,
in direct violation of the Tripoli Declaration of February 8, 2006, and
the N'Djamena Agreement of July 26, 2006;
Whereas, on January 16, 2008, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for
the Central African Republic reported that waves of violence across the
north of that country have left more than 1,000,000 people in need of
humanitarian assistance, including 150,000 who are internally displaced,
while some 80,000 have fled to neighboring Chad or Cameroon;
Whereas, since late 2007, arrests, disappearances, and harassment of
journalists, human rights defenders, and opposition leaders--
particularly those reporting on military operations and human rights
conditions in eastern Chad--mirror the repressive crackdown in the
aftermath of an attack on N'Djamena in April 2006, and conditions have
only worsened since the February 2008 attempted coup;
Whereas, on September 27, 2007, the United Nations Security Council passed
Security Council Resolution 1778 (2007), authorizing a limited United
Nations peacekeeping mission (MINURCAT) and a concurrent European-led
force (EUFOR), which is permitted to ``take all necessary measures'' to
protect refugees, civilians, and aid workers in eastern Chad and
northern Central African Republic;
Whereas, despite the explicit support of President Deby, deployment of both the
3,700 EUFOR troops and the 350 MINURCAT officers has been hampered by
political and security delays as well as insufficient resources; and
Whereas continuing hostilities will undermine efforts to bring security to
Sudan's Darfur region, dangerously destabilize volatile political and
humanitarian situations in Chad and the Central African Republic, and
potentially disrupt progress towards peace in southern Sudan: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses the concern and compassion of the citizens of
the United States for the hundreds of thousands of citizens of
Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic who have been
gravely affected by this interrelated violence and instability;
(2) calls upon all parties to these conflicts to cease
hostilities immediately and uphold basic human rights;
(3) urges the governments of Chad and Sudan, with support
from other key regional and international stakeholders,
including France, Libya, and China, to commit to another round
of inclusive negotiations towards a sustainable political
solution for national and regional stability facilitated and
monitored by impartial third-party leadership;
(4) calls upon the governments of Chad and Sudan to
reaffirm their commitment to the Tripoli Declaration of
February 8, 2006, and the N'Djamena Agreement of July 26, 2006,
refrain from any actions that violate these agreements, and
cease all logistical, financial, and military support to
insurgent groups;
(5) urges the Government of Chad to increase political
participation, strengthen democratic institutions, respect
human rights, improve accountability and transparency as well
as the provision of basic services, and uphold its commitment
to protect its own citizens in order to redeem the legitimacy
of the Government in the eyes of its citizens and the
international community;
(6) calls for diplomatic and material support from the
United States and the international community to facilitate,
implement, and monitor a comprehensive peace process that
includes an inclusive dialogue with all relevant stakeholders
to end violence, demobilize militias, and promote return and
reconstruction for internally displaced persons and refugees;
and
(7) encourages the United States Government and the
international community to provide immediate and ongoing
support for the multilateral peacekeeping missions in Darfur,
eastern Chad, and the northern Central African Republic, along
with adequate assistance to meet the continuing humanitarian
and security needs of the individuals and areas most affected
by these interrelated conflicts.
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