[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11] [Senate] [Pages 14452-14453] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SENATE RESOLUTION 531--TO URGE THE PRESIDENT TO APPOINT A PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SUDAN Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. Burns, Mr. Reid, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Talent, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Snowe, and Ms. Cantwell) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations: S. Res. 531 Whereas, on July 22, 2004, the Senate and House of Representatives declared that the atrocities occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan are genocide; Whereas, on September 9, 2004, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell stated before the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, ``When we reviewed the evidence compiled by our team, along with other information available to the State Department, we concluded that genocide has been committed in Darfur and that the Government of Sudan and the [Janjaweed] bear responsibility--and genocide may still be occurring.''; Whereas, on September 21, 2004, in an address before the United Nations General Assembly, President George W. Bush affirmed the finding of Secretary of State Powell and stated, ``At this hour, the world is witnessing terrible suffering and horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, crimes my government has concluded are genocide.''; Whereas various nongovernmental organizations have estimated that up to 400,000 people have died in Darfur from combat, hunger, and disease since February 2003; Whereas prominent human rights groups, think tanks, and members of Congress have called for the appointment of a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan; Whereas Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, who had acted as the lead negotiator and coordinator for the United States Government toward Darfur, resigned from that position on June 19, 2006; Whereas Ambassador Zoellick was instrumental in securing the peace agreement among the Government of Sudan and rebel factions on May 5, 2006, and was described by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as ``indispensable in our efforts to bring peace to Sudan and to end the violence in Darfur''; Whereas other United States Government officials deeply involved in Darfur are departing public service or moving to new positions, including White House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson, National Security Council Senior Director for African Affairs Cindy Courville, and the State Department Special Representative to Sudan Michael Ranneberger; and Whereas the crisis in Darfur, and generally Sudan, continues to command urgent attention due to the ongoing displacement of roughly 2,500,000 people, the continuing instability in the region, the fragility of the May 5, 2006, peace accord, the spread of the conflict to neighboring Chad, the lack of security that prevents multilateral organizations and nongovernmental organizations from providing assistance to the most vulnerable displaced persons of Darfur, the reluctance by the Government of Sudan to allow a robust United Nations presence in that country, and the difficulties involved in assisting the African Union Mission in Sudan and transitioning that body into a United Nations force: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That-- (1) the Senate commends the efforts of former Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick in Darfur and the contributions of White House Policy Advisor Michael Gerson, Ambassador Cindy Courville, and Ambassador Michael Ranneberger; and (2) it is the sense of the Senate that-- (A) the United States urgently needs an individual of Ambassadorial rank and high stature to devote exclusive attention to Darfur and related issues concerning peace and stability in Sudan; (B) such individual should formulate and coordinate policy, lead negotiations, engage with parties to the conflict to monitor their compliance with the terms and deadlines of the May 5, 2006, Darfur Peace Agreement, gather resources from donors, and ensure that this crisis retains high visibility and remains a top priority for the United States Government until it is substantially resolved; and (C) the President should, at the earliest date possible, appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan with the rank of Ambassador and should provide not less than $250,000, to support the Presidential Special Envoy, in accordance with Senate Amendment 3719 to H.R. 4939 of the 109th Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on May 3, 2006. [[Page 14453]] ____________________