IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 585 

Condemning the conflict in Sudan and supporting the people of Sudan, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 13, 2023 

Mrs. KIM of California (for herself, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. BILIRAKIS, 

Mr. JAMES, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. LAWLER, 

Ms. OMAR, Mr. BERA, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. KEAN of New Jersey, and Mr. 

ALLRED) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the 

Judiciary, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the conflict in Sudan and supporting the people 

of Sudan, and for other purposes. 

Whereas, on November 17, 1958, Lieutenant General 

Ibrahim Abboud of Sudan led the country’s first coup 

after independence, and the first successful coup in postindependence Africa; 

Whereas there have been more than 200 coup attempts 

across Africa since the 1958 coup in Sudan, including 

successful coups in Sudan in 1969, 1985, 1989, 2019, 

and 2021; 


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•HRES 585 IH 

Whereas, in 1989, then Brigadier General Omar al Bashir of 

Sudan came to power in a military coup; 

Whereas, in 2019, the Sudanese people bravely stood up for 

democracy and the right to choose their own future, and 

after months of staging protests, President Omar al 

Bashir was overthrown by his own security chiefs, who 

established a Transitional Military Council led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese 

Armed Forces (SAF) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo 

(also known as ‘‘Hemedti’’) of the Rapid Support Forces 

(RSF); 

Whereas, on June 3, 2019, after civilians formed a sit-in in 

front of the military headquarters to demand that these 

generals, who had seized power from Bashir under the 

guise of protecting the revolution, hand power to a civilian government, the Transitional Military Council ordered security forces to disperse the protesters by force, 

resulting in the deaths of over 100 civilians; 

Whereas, on August 17, 2019— 

(1) the Transitional Military Council, under domestic and international pressure, signed a constitutional 

document with the prodemocracy Forces for Freedom 

and Change (FFC), a broad coalition of political parties 

and civic groups representing the protest movement that 

had pushed for the end of the Bashir regime and a transition to democracy under civilian rule; and 

(2) a transitional government was formed that allowed the military junta leaders to remain in government 

in a partnership with new civilian authorities nominated 

by the FFC, including Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok 

acting as head of government, for a civilian-led transitional period to a democracy under civilian rule; 


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•HRES 585 IH 

Whereas, on October 25, 2021, Lieutenant General Burhan, 

with the support of Hemedti seized control of the civilianled transitional Government of Sudan through a coup, 

deployed the military to the streets of Khartoum and 

Omdurman, shut down the internet in Sudan, and detained Prime Minister Hamdok and civilian officials; 

Whereas the Sudanese people condemned the coup and 

launched a campaign of peaceful civil disobedience, continuing the protests for democracy that began in late 

2018, and reflecting a historic tradition of non-violent 

protests led by previous generations in Sudan against 

previous military regime; 

Whereas, in response to public calls for a transition to democracy under civilian rule after October 25, 2021, Sudanese security forces arbitrarily detained civilians and 

used excessive and lethal force against peaceful protesters 

that resulted in civilian deaths across the country; 

Whereas the African Union Peace and Security Council condemned the coup, rejected the unconstitutional change of 

government, and on October 27, 2021, suspended Sudan 

from the Council until the civilian-led transitional government is restored; 

Whereas the United States condemned the coup and called 

for the full and immediate restoration of the transition 

to a democratic government under civilian rule; 

Whereas, on November 21, 2021, military leaders announced 

an agreement to reinstate Abdalla Hamdok as Prime 

Minister of Sudan, but Hamdok resigned in January 

after he was unable to constitute a civilian-led transition 

government; 


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•HRES 585 IH 

Whereas, on December 5, 2022, the Sudanese military announced a transition framework with a group of FFC 

leaders and some other Sudanese civilian leaders, and in 

such agreement promised to relinquish control of the government to civilian leaders; 

Whereas, in March 2023, the signatories of the Framework 

Political Agreement announced that they would sign a 

final agreement to return the Sudanese Government to 

civilian rule on April 1, 2023, and form a new transitional government, but the April 1 deadline passed without agreement as security sector reform negotiations 

stalled as the timeline and manner for integrating the 

RSF into the SAF raised tensions between the security 

forces; 

Whereas, on Saturday, April 15, 2023, fighting broke out in 

Sudan between the SAF under the leadership of General 

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF under 

the leadership of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and 

has escalated into a deadly nationwide conflict; 

Whereas this conflict has spread from the Sudanese capital 

of Khartoum to the Darfur region and other parts of 

Sudan, leading to thousands of civilians killed and injured, and a massive displacement and humanitarian crisis in East Africa; 

Whereas this conflict has severely disrupted the delivery of 

humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan, where 

one-third of all people, nearly 16,000,000, required humanitarian assistance prior to the conflict and 

24,700,000, half of the population, are now in need of 

humanitarian assistance; 


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•HRES 585 IH 

Whereas more than 2,700,000 people have been displaced 

since the conflict began, including over 2,100,000 people 

displaced internally and over 400,000 who have crossed 

into neighboring countries including Chad, Egypt, South 

Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic; 

Whereas, during this conflict, combatants have used explosive 

weapons in populated areas, including tanks, artillery, 

rockets, and air-delivered munitions, that frequently result in indiscriminate attacks in violation of international 

humanitarian law; 

Whereas there have been horrifying documented accounts of 

sexual violence perpetrated by armed men during the conflict, most of which have been attributed to members of 

the paramilitary RSF; 

Whereas combatants have attacked humanitarian premises 

and health facilities, and looted humanitarian supplies, 

including at least 17,000 metric tons of food aid; 

Whereas, according to the World Food Programme, the number of individuals acutely food insecure is expected to rise 

to 19,000,000; 

Whereas tens of thousands of those displaced by the conflict 

are women and girls facing distinct risks, and of the 

more than 1,100,000 Sudanese women estimated to be 

pregnant, 29,000 are expected to give birth in the next 

month and will need maternal and newborn health services, and at least 4,300 are believed to be in need of 

emergency obstetric care and at risk of death, according 

to the United Nations Population Fund; 

Whereas there have been documented reports of grave violations against children, including killing and maiming, recruitment of children into armed groups and armed 


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•HRES 585 IH 

forces, and sexual violence and exploitation perpetrated 

against children; 

Whereas, on April 18, 2023, Secretary of State Antony 

Blinken announced that an American diplomatic convoy 

was attacked, but no one was harmed; 

Whereas, on April 23, 2023, the United States suspended operations at its embassy in Sudan and evacuated embassy 

personnel from the country; 

Whereas, on April 23, 2023, the United States Agency for 

International Development activated a Disaster Assistance Response Team in a direct effort to support the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people; 

Whereas the fighting has continued despite the multiple 

cease-fire announcements, and the warring parties have 

failed to adhere to a Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan signed by the warring parties 

on May 11, 2023, that was mediated by the United 

States and Saudi Arabia; 

Whereas prodemocracy neighborhood Resistance Committees, 

medical and professional organizations, and other civic 

volunteers in Sudan are helping to facilitate the humanitarian response to the crisis and providing vital assistance to civilians caught in the fighting; 

Whereas, 20 years after the start of the genocide in Darfur, 

there has not been meaningful accountability for atrocities committed, and there are disturbing reports of agitators in the conflict trying to mobilize communities in 

Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan along ethnic lines; 

Whereas, on June 14, 2023, Khamis Abdallah Abbakar, the 

Governor of West Darfur, was found tortured and killed 


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•HRES 585 IH 

after he publicly described the RSF’s actions in Darfur 

as ‘‘genocide’’; 

Whereas the United Nations has said that ‘‘compelling eyewitness accounts attribute’’ Khamis Abdallah Abbakar’s 

killing to ‘‘Arab militias and the RSF’’; 

Whereas the Sudanese people have continued to call for an 

end to this conflict and demand transition to a democratic government under civilian rule; 

Whereas, on May 4, 2023, President Biden announced that 

it ‘‘is policy of the United States to support a transition 

to democracy and civilian transitional government in 

Sudan, to defend such a transitional government from 

those who would prevent its initial formation through violence and other methods, and, once formed, to protect it 

from those who would undermine it’’; and 

Whereas, on June 1, 2023, the Biden administration announced new economic sanctions and visa restrictions 

against actors perpetuating the violence in Sudan to 

‘‘hold accountable those responsible for undermining the 

peace, security, and stability of Sudan’’, reiterating that 

the United States will continue to support the Sudanese 

people’s ‘‘rightful demand for a transition to democracy’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on all combatants in the conflict to 

3 agree to an immediate cease-fire; 

4 (2) calls on all combatants to immediately ad5 here to new and previously signed cease-fire agree6 ments; 


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•HRES 585 IH 

1 (3) condemns the outbreak of armed conflict 

2 and departure from the transition to a democratic 

3 government under civilian rule; 

4 (4) urges the SAF and RSF to adhere to the 

5 Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians 

6 of Sudan; 

7 (5) condemns attacks against civilians and dip8 lomatic personnel, attacks on civilian objects, includ9 ing schools and hospitals, sexual violence, and other 

10 grave human rights abuses; 

11 (6) recognizes efforts by the United States, 

12 Saudi Arabia, and other international actors to fa13 cilitate a cease-fire, and calls for greater participa14 tion by Sudanese civil society actors in current and 

15 future negotiations; 

16 (7) recognizes efforts by the African Union to 

17 seek a resolution of the conflict in Sudan; 

18 (8) calls on the concerned regional and inter19 national parties to unify their efforts to secure a 

20 cease-fire, establish a monitoring mechanism with ci21 vilian participation, improve humanitarian access 

22 and scale up assistance, and secure more-inclusive 

23 negotiations aimed at forming a democratic govern24 ment under civilian rule in Sudan; 


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•HRES 585 IH 

1 (9) calls on the President, the Secretary of 

2 State, the Administrator of the United States Agen3 cy for International Development, and other Federal 

4 Government agencies to urgently resource and scale 

5 up the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Sudan 

6 and the region commensurate with the growing level 

7 of need and take steps to coordinate with local and 

8 international humanitarian actors, nonprofits, and 

9 medical professionals to respond to the crisis; 

10 (10) calls on the Secretary of State and the Ad11 ministrator of the United States Agency for Inter12 national Development to ensure that humanitarian 

13 response and recovery efforts directly support local 

14 actors in Sudan to ensure maximum impact and sus15 tainability of these efforts, and ensure that humani16 tarian aid does not fall into the hands of combat17 ants; 

18 (11) calls upon the Secretary of State and the 

19 Administrator of the United States Agency for 

20 International Development to prioritize the needs of 

21 children affected by the conflict, including those 

22 within Sudan and those who have fled across bor23 ders, by providing protection services, education in 

24 emergencies and continued learning opportunities, 


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•HRES 585 IH 

1 and critical mental health and psychosocial support 

2 services for children and their family members; 

3 (12) calls on neighboring countries to Sudan to 

4 provide refuge to those seeking safety from the con5 flict, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid 

6 across borders, and to refrain from refoulement of 

7 displaced Sudanese back to Sudan; 

8 (13) affirms its commitment to supporting a 

9 transition to civilian rule and a democratically elect10 ed government in Sudan; 

11 (14) calls on the President, the Secretary of 

12 State, and the Secretary of the Treasury to use their 

13 authority under Executive Order 14098 of May 4, 

14 2023, to issue sanctions against persons and addi15 tional entities whose actions threaten the peace, se16 curity, or stability of Sudan, obstruct, undermine, 

17 delay, or impede Sudan’s transition to democracy, 

18 and those who have committed serious human rights 

19 violations in Sudan, including those determined to 

20 have command responsibility for forces that commit 

21 gross human rights abuses, and elements associated 

22 with the former Islamist regime who have under23 mined the democratic transition, manipulated the 

24 conflict, and threatened civilians and United Nations 

25 officials; 


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•HRES 585 IH 

1 (15) calls on the President, the Secretary of 

2 State, and the Secretary of the Treasury to ensure 

3 that sanctions include comprehensive safeguards to 

4 protect humanitarian activities, provision of basic 

5 services and peacebuilding activities as delivered by 

6 humanitarian actors, including United Nations agen7 cies and non-governmental organizations, and to 

8 take steps to mitigate financial sector derisking as 

9 a result of Executive Order 14098; 

10 (16) calls on the President and the Secretary of 

11 State to develop a strategy to ensure meaningful ci12 vilian engagement in all aspects of negotiations to 

13 end the conflict, facilitate humanitarian assistance, 

14 and facilitate a new democratic government under 

15 civilian rule; 

16 (17) calls on the President, the Secretary of 

17 State, the Administrator of the United States Agen18 cy for International Development, and the United 

19 States Ambassador to the United Nations to ensure 

20 that resources are provided for the monitoring and 

21 documentation of violations of international humani22 tarian law and international human rights law dur23 ing the conflict to ensure future accountability; 

24 (18) recognizes the brave efforts by prodemoc25 racy neighborhood Resistance Committees, medical 


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•HRES 585 IH 

1 and professional organizations in Sudan to respond 

2 to the growing humanitarian crisis and assist com3 munities in need; 

4 (19) recognizes the United States armed forces, 

5 allied armed forces, and private organizations who 

6 have worked to safely evacuate United States em7 bassy personnel and citizens from Sudan; 

8 (20) acknowledges that a sustainable political 

9 resolution to the crisis in Sudan requires a process 

10 led by Sudanese civilians and United States leader11 ship to coordinate the efforts of regional actors; and 

12 (21) calls on the President to appoint a Presi13 dential Special Envoy to Sudan to ensure direct, 

14 sustained and high-level diplomatic engagement with 

15 international and regional actors, to respond to the 

16 conflict, improve interagency coordination of United 

17 States-Sudan policy implementation, and to facilitate 

18 the establishment of a democracy under civilian rule. 

Æ 


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