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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 496 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 496

   Honoring the life and achievements of the late Dr. John Garang de 
    Mabior and reaffirming the continued commitment of the House of 
  Representatives to a just and lasting peace in the Republic of the 
                                 Sudan.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2005

 Mr. Payne (for himself, Mr. Tancredo, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Meeks 
 of New York, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, and Ms. Watson) submitted the 
     following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Honoring the life and achievements of the late Dr. John Garang de 
    Mabior and reaffirming the continued commitment of the House of 
  Representatives to a just and lasting peace in the Republic of the 
                                 Sudan.

Whereas Dr. John Garang de Mabior, founder and leader of the Sudan People's 
        Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), was born on June 23, 1945, in Bor, 
        Sudan;
Whereas Dr. Garang joined the Anya-Nya Movement in 1970, a liberation movement 
        in southern Sudan, and after the 1972 Addis Ababa Peace Agreement, he 
        became a member of the Sudanese Armed Forces;
Whereas, as Deputy Director of the Military Research Branch of the Sudanese 
        Armed Forces, Dr. Garang demonstrated his leadership abilities in the 
        early stages of his military career;
Whereas Dr. Garang studied economics at Grinnell College and received his master 
        of arts and doctorate degrees from Iowa State University;
Whereas as the undisputed leader of the SPLM/A, Dr. Garang demonstrated 
        remarkable political and military leadership for over two decades;
Whereas Dr. Garang skillfully managed to consolidate his base after the 
        devastating split in the SPLM/A in 1991;
Whereas Dr. Garang was a soldier, a scholar, a statesman, and a father, who had 
        a clear vision and unwavering love for his people and country;
Whereas Dr. Garang fought for 22 years to achieve a just peace for his people, 
        but only served 21 days as First Vice President of Sudan;
Whereas Dr. Garang fought not only for the people in southern Sudan, but also 
        for the forgotten and long marginalized people of the Nuba Mountains, 
        Southern Blue Nile, Darfur, and other regions of the country;
Whereas Dr. Garang worked tirelessly to help build international support for a 
        new Sudan that would be multi-ethnic, multi-religious, democratic, and 
        united;
Whereas the new Sudan envisioned by Dr. Garang, if fully realized, would be a 
        country in which all Sudanese would live in peace without discrimination 
        and hatred, with equality, pride, and dignity;
Whereas Dr. Garang creatively and painstakingly managed the often conflicting 
        aspirations of his people for an independent southern Sudan and his 
        vision for a new Sudan;
Whereas the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was signed by the Government of 
        Sudan and the SPLM/A on January 9, 2005, gave southern Sudan the right 
        to self determination through a referendum after six years and also 
        offered the northern establishment in Sudan the opportunity to make 
        unity attractive during the interim period;
Whereas on July 8, 2005, millions of people throughout Sudan came to show their 
        support in Khartoum when Dr. Garang was sworn in as First Vice President 
        of Sudan; and
Whereas on July 30, 2005, Dr. John Garang died in a helicopter crash on his way 
        back to southern Sudan from Uganda: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Garang de 
        Mabior;
            (2) reaffirms its commitment to a just and lasting peace in 
        the Republic of the Sudan;
            (3) calls for full implementation of the Comprehensive 
        Peace Agreement without any delay;
            (4) strongly urges the people of southern Sudan and its 
        leaders to continue to support Dr. Garang's vision for a new 
        Sudan; and
            (5) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
        transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Secretary 
        of State with a request that the Secretary transmit it to Dr. 
        Garang's widow, Rebecca Garang, and to the Government of 
        Southern Sudan, through the Office of the Sudan People's 
        Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the District of Columbia.
                                 <all>
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