H. Res. 992

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 26, 2006.

Whereas in July 2004, the United States House of Representatives and Senate declared that the atrocities in the 

Darfur region of Sudan constitute genocide, and the 

Bush administration reached the same conclusion in September 2004, when then Secretary of State Colin Powell 

stated that ‘‘the evidence leads us to the conclusion that 

genocide has occurred and may still be occurring in 

Darfur’’; 

Whereas an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people have been 

killed by the Government of Sudan and its Janjaweed allies since the crisis began in 2003, more than 2,000,000 

people have been displaced from their homes, and more 

than 250,000 people from Darfur remain in refugee 

camps in Chad; 

Whereas some rebel factions, which have targeted civilians in 

the Darfur region, have intensified their attacks even 

after the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 

2006; 

Whereas the United Nations Under-Secretary General for 

Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, in late August 2006 

stated that ‘‘[i]nsecurity is at its highest level since 2004, 

access at its lowest levels since that date, and we may 

well be on the brink of a return to all-out war’’; 
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Whereas despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement 

in May 2006, violence against civilians, peacekeepers, and 

humanitarian workers continues unabated; and an estimated 12 humanitarian workers have been killed in 

Darfur, including a nurse in September 2006; 

Whereas in August 2006, the Government of Sudan began to 

deploy thousands of government troops for a major offensive in Darfur, once again threatening a major humanitarian catastrophe and risking the safety and security of 

millions of civilians; 

Whereas according to the Government of Sudan’s plan, in a 

document submitted to the United Nations Secretary–

General Kofi Annan, the Government of Sudan plans to 

deploy approximately 26,500 additional troops and 7,050 

additional police to Darfur; 

Whereas the objectives of this deployment are ‘‘to deal with 

the threats posed by the activities of groups that have rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement and to gain control 

over the security situation and achieve stability in 

Darfur’’; 

Whereas the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution expanding the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for the additional deployment of 

17,300 peacekeeping troops and 3,300 civilian police personnel as well as 16 formed police units to Darfur; 

Whereas President Omar Bashir of Sudan has rejected the 

deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force to 

Darfur, even as First Vice President Salva Kiir has publicly stated his support for the deployment of a United 

Nations peacekeeping mission to Darfur; 
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•HRES 992 EH 

Whereas implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the 

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is slow, 

raising serious concern about the commitment of the 

Government of Sudan to fulfill its responsibilities; 

Whereas in July 2005, although the Abyei Boundary Commission, established to define and demarcate the area of 

the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms, finished its work and 

submitted its report to President Bashir, the President 

has yet to implement the conclusions of the Commission, 

as called for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement; 

Whereas the reconstruction and development of Southern 

Sudan and other marginalized areas remains a major 

challenge, while the return of refugees and displaced people to their homes in Darfur will require major financial 

commitments and the establishment of a secure and safe 

environment throughout Darfur; 

Whereas in order to tackle these many and difficult challenges, the appointment of a Presidential Special Envoy 

for Sudan with a robust mandate and access to, and support of, senior Administration officials, including the 

President, is crucial; 

Whereas Members of Congress, leading foreign policy experts, 

and many nongovernmental organizations have called repeatedly for the appointment of a Presidential Envoy for 

Sudan to effectively represent the United States Government in heading off a further escalation of genocide in 

Darfur; 

Whereas United States Government officials have diligently 

pursued peace agreements to end the North-South conflict and the Darfur conflict and the United States Gov-
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ernment has provided more than $2 billion in assistance 

to help the suffering people of Sudan; and 

Whereas during a speech before the United Nations General 

Assembly on September 19, 2006, President George W. 

Bush announced the appointment of Andrew Natsios to 

serve as Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan: Now, 

therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) commends the many years of tireless efforts of 

United States officials who have helped secure the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Darfur Peace 

Agreement; 

(2) strongly supports the appointment of an adequately staffed Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan 

with a robust mandate to develop and coordinate United 

States policy toward Sudan with regular access to senior 

Administration officials; and 

(3) strongly urges the mandate of the Presidential 

Special Envoy for Sudan to include—

(A) deterring a further escalation of violence 

and humanitarian disaster in the Darfur region of 

Sudan while ensuring civilians are adequately protected and the Darfur Peace Agreement is fully implemented; 

(B) facilitating the development of an international peacekeeping mission to Darfur with a 
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mandate to protect civilians and humanitarian 

workers; 

(C) ensuring implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended the 21-

year civil war in Southern Sudan, Nuba, Southern 

Blue Nile, and Abyei and helping secure a just 

peace in Eastern Sudan; 

(D) coordination of reconstruction and development work in Southern Sudan and other 

marginalized areas; 

(E) coordination and monitoring of the return 

of refugees and displaced people to their homes in 

Darfur and southern Sudan; 

(F) securing and consolidating peace in Northern Uganda by working closely with the Government of South Sudan and the Government of Uganda; 

(G) coordination of efforts to ensure implementation of the transformation of the Sudan People’s 

Liberation Army (SPLA) into a professional armed 

force; 

(H) work toward achieving a peaceful, stable, 

and democratic Sudan by ensuring that free and 

fair elections are held, as called for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, by coordinating and 
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implementing programs necessary to achieve these 

objectives; and 

(I) coordination of efforts to work toward 

achieving accountability for the crimes committed in 

Darfur by working closely with relevant individuals 

and entities engaged in this area. 

Attest:

Clerk.