H. Res. 1588 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 28, 2010. 

Whereas Sudan stands at a crossroads, in the final phase of 

what could be a historic transition from civil war to 

peace, and Sudan’s full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in this next year will 

determine the future of this centrally important country 

in Africa and the stability of the region; 

Whereas January 2010 marked the fifth anniversary of the 

signing of the CPA which ended more than 20 years of 

civil war between northern and southern Sudan, fueled by 

northern persecution of populations in the south, that resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000,000 people and 

the displacement of over 4,000,000 people in southern 

Sudan; 

Whereas the CPA committed the northern-dominated National Congress Party (NCP) and the southern-dominated Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army 

(SPLM/A), to assume joint governing responsibility during a six-year Interim Period ending in July 2011; 

Whereas Sudan’s April 2010 elections did not meet international standards due to widespread and continuing violations of political rights, irregularities in voter registration, significant logistical and procedural shortcomings, 

intimidation and violence in some localities, and the con-
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tinuing conflict in Darfur which prevented full campaigning and voter participation; 

Whereas the conflict in Darfur remains unresolved, with over 

300,000 people killed and over 2,000,000 people still displaced in a highly unstable security situation perpetrated 

largely by the government in Khartoum; 

Whereas since 1999, the United States Department of State 

has designated Sudan as a ‘‘country of particular concern’’ for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations 

of religious freedom or belief and related human rights, 

as recommended by the United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom, and despite progress 

made via the CPA on religious freedom issues, there are 

still reports of abuses; 

Whereas at the end of the CPA in January 2011, the agreement requires referenda on self-determination for southern Sudan and on whether Abyei will remain in the north 

or join the south; 

Whereas following the Interim Period, popular consultations 

in Southern Kordofan State and Blue Nile State are to 

be held to determine the governance arrangements in 

those two states; 

Whereas it is essential that the referenda and accompanying 

popular consultations are held on time, that they are 

free, fair, and credible, and that if the outcome of the 

southern Sudan referendum is independence, two stable 

and viable democratic states result; 

Whereas the Government of Southern Sudan faces post-conflict reconstruction challenges including establishing 

democratic, responsive, and transparent governance, addressing human resources and capacity-building needs, 
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strengthening and reforming the judiciary and security 

forces to address communal and inter-ethnic violence, 

professionalizing the police and security forces, developing basic infrastructure, natural resources and the 

economy; providing basic services including water, education, health care and social services, and establishing 

cooperative and transparent wealth-sharing mechanisms; 

Whereas in August 2009, the NCP and SPLM signed a bilateral agreement to address and implement many of the 

CPA’s outstanding provisions, but since that time the 

NCP has consistently delayed and reneged on its CPA 

commitments, thereby increasing tension and distrust between northern and southern Sudan and endangering the 

CPA by infringing on the freedom of speech, assembly, 

and association of candidates, political party activists, 

and journalists during and after the election process, including censoring the media and arresting political party 

leaders; 

Whereas the NCP continues to restrict and disrupt United 

Nations peacekeeping, humanitarian operations, and 

human rights organizations in Darfur; 

Whereas the United States played a central role in negotiations that led to the CPA, is a guarantor of that peace 

agreement, and continues to play a leading role bilaterally and multilaterally to bring about a just and lasting 

peace in Sudan; 

Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stated in 

October 2009 that ‘‘the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 

between the North and South will be a flashpoint for renewed conflict if not fully implemented through viable national elections, a referendum on self-determination for 

the South, resolution of the border disputes, and the will-
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ingness of the respective parties to live up to their agreements’’; and 

Whereas sustained pressure and engagement from the international community in support of the CPA, including the 

upcoming referenda, is essential to bring about sustainable peace in Sudan: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Government should— 

(1) work with appropriate Sudanese parties and responsible regional and international partners to— 

(A) build consensus on the steps needed to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement 

(CPA), including the upcoming referenda, and promote stability throughout Sudan; 

(B) correct serious and systemic problems in 

the election process to ensure that they do not reoccur during the referenda campaign and voting processes, including irregularities in voter registration, 

logistical and procedural challenges, poor voter education, human rights infringements, intimidation, 

and violence; and 

(C) ensure that the National Congress Party 

(NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) implement procedures whereby the 

referenda occur as scheduled, including appointing 

competent and credible members to all referenda 
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commissions and providing technical assistance to 

and funding for the commissions; 

(2) work with the United Nations Mission in Sudan 

(UNMIS) to ensure security during and after the 

referenda campaign and voting processes, which will require a robust monitoring and protection presence in 

areas prone to conflict; 

(3) take concrete steps through the contribution of 

targeted resources and technical expertise to— 

(A) ensure international monitoring and observation of registration and polling to guarantee a secure environment for individual registration and 

voting, and to prevent voter intimidation or fraud 

occurring during these critical phases of the 

referenda; 

(B) ensure that the Government of National 

Unity (GNU), as required by the CPA, provides 

adequate funding at predetermined levels and 

timelines for the registration and polling periods, 

given the need to ensure that those who register are 

able to access polling stations on voting day; 

(C) ensure that responsible nations commit 

adequate resources and technical expertise to support the referenda and voter education programs in 

southern Sudan, Abyei, and other areas where peo-
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ple will vote in the referenda to promote understanding of the nature, importance of participation, 

consequences of the referenda process; and 

(D) support the popular consultation processes 

in Southern Kordofan State and Blue Nile State, 

including through provision of technical assistance 

and support for public education; 

(4) work with appropriate Sudanese parties and responsible regional and international partners to ensure— 

(A) the right of return of Sudanese refugees 

and displaced persons, including Darfuris and 

southerners, by providing assistance and safe passage to all such persons; and 

(B) that the citizenship rights of southerners 

in the north and northerners in the south are respected in accordance with international standards 

should the south vote for independence; 

(5) work with responsible regional and international 

partners to ensure a stable north-south border and a 

permanent peace in Sudan, utilizing policy options if 

parties fail to honor the CPA, especially as it relates to 

border demarcation pre-referenda; 

(6) continue to utilize diplomats and experts and 

sustain engagement to support the African Union and 

United Nations-led negotiations over the post-ref-
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erendum issues, including working with responsible regional and international partners to assist in making 

necessary arrangements for a post-2011 peaceful transition, with specific focus on oil and revenue sharing, citizenship, return of refugees and displaced persons, security arrangements along the border, and protection of 

the rights of minorities, particularly the religious and 

ethnic minorities historically marginalized; 

(7) utilize diplomats and experts to revitalize the 

Darfur Peace Process and press the NCP, northern political parties, armed groups, and civil society representatives to address human rights abuses (including genderbased violence) and the ongoing atrocities and displacement in Darfur; 

(8) undertake renewed efforts to define and implement the Administration’s stated Sudan policy of October 2009, including by publicly articulating the benchmarks and related incentives and pressures used by the 

Administration to gauge progress or backsliding on key 

provisions of the CPA, including the holding of a free 

and fair referendum in southern Sudan; 

(9) hold the NCP accountable for its actions given 

the NCP’s human rights violations and efforts to impede 

CPA implementation since the announcement of the 
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United States Sudan policy, and the need for the United 

States to both balance incentives with pressures, by— 

(A) identifying NCP government agencies and 

officials responsible for particularly severe human 

rights and religious freedom violations as required 

under section 402b(2) of the International Religious 

Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), and prohibit those 

individuals identified under section 402b(2) of 

IRFA from entry into the United States; 

(B) encouraging multilateral asset freezes on 

NCP government agencies and travel bans on officials responsible for particularly severe human 

rights and religious freedom violations; 

(C) continuing to encourage greater multilateral enforcement of the arms embargo set out in the 

2004 United Nations Security Council Resolution 

1556 and strengthened in the 2005 United Nations 

Security Council Resolution 1591; 

(D) continuing to encourage multilateral support for efforts to hold accountable Omar al-Bashir 

and other Sudanese officials accused of genocide, 

war crimes, or crimes against humanity, recognizing 

that justice is essential for there to be lasting peace; 

and 
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(E) vigorously advocating on behalf of any 

credible humanitarian organizations that come 

under pressure from Khartoum or are at any point 

expelled from the country, thereby compromising 

their ability to provide vital services; 

(10) support the Government of Southern Sudan, 

including through the provision of technical assistance 

and expertise, in developing its economy, rule of law, and 

social service and educational infrastructures, improving 

democratic accountability and human rights, and 

strengthening reconciliation efforts; and 

(11) unequivocally stand, during this period of 

preparation and possible transition, with those people of 

Sudan who share aspirations for a peaceful, prosperous 

and democratic future. 

Attest: 

Clerk.