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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 397 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 397

    Promoting peace and stability in Sudan, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2012

   Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
 Cardin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Casey, and Mr. 
Menendez) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

                             March 28, 2012

   Reported by Mr. Kerry, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                preamble

                             March 29, 2012

                   Considered, amended, and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Promoting peace and stability in Sudan, and for other purposes.

Whereas conflict between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's 
        Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has been ongoing since June 2011 in 
        Sudan's border state of Southern Kordofan and since September 2011 in 
        the border state of Blue Nile, resulting in a humanitarian crisis;
Whereas the Government of Sudan has refused repeated requests by the United 
        States Government, the United Nations, the African Union, the League of 
        Arab States, nongovernmental organizations, and others to allow 
        humanitarian access to the conflict areas;
Whereas the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan signed a memorandum of 
        understanding on non-aggression and cooperation in Addis Ababa on 
        February 12, 2012, agreeing to respect each other's sovereignty and 
        refrain from launching any attack against the other, including 
        bombardment;
Whereas the United Nations estimates that more than 130,000 refugees have fled 
        Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile for South Sudan, Ethiopia, and elsewhere 
        since June 2011, and hundreds of thousands more have been internally 
        displaced or severely affected by conflict;
Whereas the Government of Sudan bombed the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan on 
        November 10, 2011;
Whereas both the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-
        North have reportedly prevented civilians from leaving Blue Nile and 
        Southern Kordofan;
Whereas the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET), funded by the United 
        States Agency for International Development, estimated in March 2012 
        that conflict-affected areas of Southern Kordofan would deteriorate 
        further in coming weeks to Phase 4 emergency levels of food insecurity 
        (one step before being classified as a famine), due mainly to conflict 
        and government policies that have limited cultivation, displaced the 
        population, restricted trade, and refused access for international 
        humanitarian assistance;
Whereas the United Nations Security Council issued a statement on February 14, 
        2012, expressing deep and growing alarm with the rising levels of 
        malnutrition and food insecurity in some areas of Southern Kordofan and 
        Blue Nile, calling on the Government of Sudan to allow immediate access 
        to United Nations personnel, and urging the Government of Sudan and the 
        Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North to agree to an immediate 
        cessation of hostilities and return to talks to address the issues that 
        have fueled the current conflict;
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees appealed urgently to 
        donors in February 2012 for $145,000,000 to assist refugees from 
        Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile;
Whereas President Barack Obama released a statement in June 2011 calling on the 
        Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North to 
        agree immediately to a ceasefire, end restrictions on humanitarian 
        access and United Nations movements, and agree on security arrangements 
        for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States through direct, high-level 
        negotiations as opposed to the use of force;
Whereas President Obama released a statement on February 2, 2012, strongly 
        condemning the bombing by the Armed Forces of Sudan of civilian 
        populations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States in Sudan, which 
        stated that aerial attacks on civilian targets are unjustified, 
        unacceptable, and a violation of international law and compound the 
        ongoing crisis in these areas;
Whereas neither Southern Kordofan nor Blue Nile were able to complete the 
        popular consultation process with the Government of Sudan as stipulated 
        in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) before violence broke out;
Whereas, despite the independence of South Sudan on July 9, 2011, many key 
        issues between Sudan and South Sudan remain unresolved, including 
        transit fees for oil pipeline use, citizenship, the status of Abyei, and 
        border demarcation;
Whereas the goal of democratic governance reform in Sudan as envisioned in the 
        CPA has not been met;
Whereas in addition to the growing conflict-induced humanitarian and human 
        rights crisis in Sudan's southern border states, the humanitarian crisis 
        and ongoing insecurity in Darfur continues; and
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that, 
        although for the first time since the Darfur conflict began, more 
        Darfuris (87,000) voluntarily returned to their homes than were newly 
        displaced (70,000), tens of thousands of additional people are still 
        being displaced in southern Sudan and more than 4,000,000 people in 
        Sudan remain internally displaced in total: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) welcomes the memorandum of understanding on non-
        aggression and cooperation signed between the Governments of 
        Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa on February 12, 2012;
            (2) calls on the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's 
        Liberation Movement-North to reach a mutually beneficial 
        political agreement;
            (3) urges the Government of Sudan to allow immediate and 
        unrestricted humanitarian access to Southern Kordofan, Blue 
        Nile, and all other conflict-affected areas of Sudan;
            (4) encourages the Government of Sudan and the Sudan 
        People's Liberation Movement-North to declare a cessation of 
        hostilities to allow food and essential supplies to reach 
        affected civilians;
            (5) implores the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to 
        refrain from any support of proxy forces;
            (6) urges the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's 
        Liberation Movement-North to allow civilians to leave Southern 
        Kordofan and Blue Nile voluntarily and seek refuge in more 
        secure areas; and
            (7) supports the current efforts of the Obama 
        Administration, working with partners in the international 
        community, to facilitate humanitarian access to affected areas, 
        to encourage all relevant parties to return to the negotiation 
        table to reach agreements associated with the conclusion of the 
        Comprehensive Peace Agreement, to mitigate violence in the 
        interim, and to allow full humanitarian access.
                                 <all>
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