H. Res. 723

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 26, 2006.

Whereas the United States Congress and the President are 

on record as declaring that the atrocities being committed in Darfur, Sudan are genocide; 

Whereas the United States has demonstrated leadership on 

the Sudan issue for years, including by mediating Sudan’s North-South Peace Agreement, by declaring genocide in Darfur, by providing nearly $1 billion in humanitarian assistance over time, and by having United States 

Permanent Representative to the United Nations John 

Bolton, in his first action as President of the United Nations Security Council, request in February 2006 that 

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan initiate 

contingency planning for a transition from the African 

Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to a United Nations 

peacekeeping force; 

Whereas the African Union deployed AMIS to Darfur to 

monitor the violence and, in spite of attacks on AMIS observers and the fact that the recently improved AMIS 

mandate still does not provide sufficiently for proactive 

protection of civilians, AMIS has been successful in creating pockets of security for displaced persons simply 

through its presence; 
2

•HRES 723 EH 

Whereas the N’Djamena Ceasefire Agreement of April 8, 

2004, the Abuja Protocols of November 9, 2004, and the 

Darfur Peace Agreement of May 5, 2006, have not resulted in a cessation of hostilities in Darfur; 

Whereas the Government of Sudan and its armed militia 

groups continue to commit crimes against humanity and 

engage in genocidal acts in Darfur, in spite of the presence of AMIS forces, and, in early September 2006, 

launched a major offensive in Darfur, in direct violation 

of the Darfur Peace Agreement; 

Whereas United Nations Secretary-General Annan has indicated that, ‘‘People in many parts of Darfur continue to 

be killed, raped, and driven from their homes by the 

thousands.’’; 

Whereas it has been reported that an estimated 300,000 to 

400,000 people have died in the conflict-affected area of 

Darfur and eastern Chad, and due to the number of 

areas that cannot be accounted for, the total number of 

deaths may be higher; 

Whereas the ongoing assault against civilians by Sudanese 

Government forces, Janjaweed militias, and rebels necessitates the deployment of a larger, more capable international peacekeeping force with a strong mandate to 

protect civilians in Darfur; 

Whereas, although the United Nations Security Council approved Security Council Resolution 1706 (August 31, 

2006) which provides for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur to include up to 

22,500 personnel, the Government of Sudan has rejected 

the terms of such Resolution and alternatively issued an 

ultimatum to AMIS to extend its current mission beyond 
3

•HRES 723 EH 

September 2006 without transitioning to a United Nations peacekeeping force; and 

Whereas on the same day on which the Government of Sudan 

issued its ultimatum, the African Union stated that it 

would quit the war-ravaged Darfur region if the Government of Sudan did not allow a United Nations peacekeeping force to take over AMIS: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) commends the African Union Mission in Sudan 

(AMIS) for its actions in monitoring the N’Djamena 

Ceasefire Agreement in Darfur and its role in diminishing some acts of violence; 

(2) strongly condemns the continued genocide and 

violence directed against civilians in Darfur by the Government of Sudan and government-sponsored militias, as 

well as attacks perpetrated against civilians by rebels in 

Darfur; 

(3) calls upon all parties to the N’Djamena 

Ceasefire Agreement—

(A) to abide by the terms of the N’Djamena 

Ceasefire Agreement and the Darfur Peace Agreement; and 

(B) to engage in good-faith negotiations to end 

the conflict in Darfur; 

(4) calls upon the Government of Sudan immediately—
4

•HRES 723 EH 

(A) to comply with United Nations Security 

Council Resolution 1706 (August 31, 2006), support the transition of AMIS to a United Nations 

peacekeeping mission, and facilitate the deployment 

of United Nations peacekeepers throughout Sudan 

toward that end; 

(B) to withdraw all offensive military aircraft 

and personnel from the region; 

(C) to cease all support for Janjaweed militias 

and rebels from Chad; and 

(D) to disarm all Janjaweed militias; 

(5) calls upon the international community to provide sufficient funding to support the AMIS mission as 

it transitions to a United Nations peacekeeping mission; 

(6) calls on the African Union to work closely with 

the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to strengthen its capacity to deter violence and instability until a United Nations peacekeeping 

force is fully deployed in Darfur; 

(7) calls on NATO to extend its current mission of 

advisors to the African Union, as requested by the leadership of the African Union; 

(8) urges the President to take steps immediately to 

help improve the security situation in Darfur, including 

by proposing that NATO support an interim civilian pro-
5

•HRES 723 EH 

tection force with sufficient ground and air assets under 

centralized planning, direction, and control, to protect civilians and facilitate the deployment of United Nations 

peacekeepers in Darfur; 

(9) calls upon NATO allies to support such a 

NATO mission; 

(10) calls upon NATO headquarters staff to begin 

prudent planning in advance of such a NATO mission; 

and 

(11) urges the President to take immediate steps to 

work through diplomatic channels to obtain the support 

of the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and United States allies in the Arab League to secure the compliance of the Government of Sudan with 

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706 and 

support full funding for the United Nations peacekeeping force in Sudan. 

Attest:

Clerk.