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[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 112 Introduced in House (IH)]

107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 112

 Regarding the human rights situation in Sudan, including the practice 
                          of chattel slavery.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2001

  Mr. Payne submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
 Regarding the human rights situation in Sudan, including the practice 
                          of chattel slavery.

Whereas the Government of Sudan has perpetrated a prolonged campaign of human 
        rights abuses against the people of Sudan;
Whereas the United States Department of State, Amnesty International, and Human 
        Rights Watch have all documented human rights abuses by the Government 
        of Sudan;
Whereas on March 21, 2001, the United States Commission on International 
        Religious Freedom stated in a report that ``the government of Sudan 
        continues to commit egregious human rights abuses including widespread 
        bombing of civilian and humanitarian targets, abduction and enslavement 
        by government-sponsored militias, manipulation of humanitarian 
        assistance as a weapon of war, and severe restrictions on religious 
        freedom'';
Whereas the Government of Sudan has consistently and repeatedly aided militias 
        engaged in slave raids in southern Sudan and has done little to halt the 
        practice of chattel slavery;
Whereas government troops continue to provide logistical support in transporting 
        these armed militias to carry out slave raids in southern Sudan;
Whereas the American Anti-Slavery Group and Christian Solidarity International 
        have called for the disarming of militias engaged in slave raids in 
        southern Sudan, as called for by the United Nations High Commissioner 
        for Refugees Mary Robinson;
Whereas Christian Solidarity International estimates that tens of thousands of 
        southern Sudanese are being enslaved and that tens of thousands have 
        been redeemed from slavery by Christian Solidarity International and 
        other groups over the past several years;
Whereas scores of freed slaves have recounted to rescuers that they were 
        systematically gang raped by members of the Popular Defense Forces of 
        Sudan;
Whereas the NAACP Executive Board passed an anti-slavery resolution in 1995, 
        condemning the practice of slavery in Mauritania and Sudan; and
Whereas the slave raids being carried out by progovernment militias are part of 
        the military strategy of the Government of Sudan to defeat the Sudan 
        People's Liberation Army and to depopulate southern Sudan: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) strongly condemns the Government of Sudan and calls on 
        the Government to honor its international obligations to 
        immediately bring an end to the inhuman practice of forcing 
        people into slavery;
            (2) demands that the Government of Sudan immediately 
        facilitate the reunification of family members torn apart by 
        the slave raids;
            (3) calls on human rights organizations and others to 
        facilitate safe passage for slavery victims to and from 
        conflict zones in Sudan;
            (4) strongly urges the President of the United States to 
        sponsor a resolution at the United Nations Security Council to 
        condemn the Government of Sudan and to demand an immediate end 
        to slavery in Sudan;
            (5) calls on the President to establish a ``Slave Victims 
        Fund'' to assist slave victims;
            (6) strongly encourages the President to use the funds 
        which were appropriated for the National Democratic Alliance of 
        Sudan for fiscal year 2001 to assist slave victims in Sudan;
            (7) urges the President to mobilize international support 
        to end slavery in Sudan; and
            (8) calls upon the United Nations Commission on Human 
        Rights, UNICEF, and the European Union to end the use of 
        euphemisms, such as ``abduction'', as a substitute for slavery.
                                 <all>
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