III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 7 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 26, 2007 

Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Calling on the League of Arab States and each Member 

State individually to acknowledge the genocide in the 

Darfur region of Sudan and to step up their efforts 

to stop the genocide in Darfur. 

Whereas in July 2004, the House of Representatives and the 

Senate declared that the atrocities in the Darfur region 

of Sudan constitute genocide, and the Bush administration reached the same conclusion in September 2004, 

when then Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that 

‘‘the evidence leads us to the conclusion that genocide 

has occurred and may still be occurring in Darfur’’; 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
2 

HCON 7 RFS 

Whereas estimates indicate that 400,000 people may have 

been killed by the Government of Sudan and its 

Janjaweed allies since the crisis began in 2003, more 

than 2,000,000 people have been displaced from their 

homes, and more than 250,000 people from Darfur remain in refugee camps in Chad; 

Whereas the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General 

for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, in late August 

2006 stated that ‘‘[i]nsecurity is at its highest level since 

2004, access at its lowest levels since that date, and we 

may well be on the brink of a return to all-out war’’; 

Whereas despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement 

in May 2006, violence against civilians, peacekeepers, and 

humanitarian workers continues unabated, including the 

killing of an estimated 12 humanitarian workers and 16 

African Union Mission in Sudan peacekeepers; 

Whereas in August 2006, the Government of Sudan began to 

deploy thousands of government troops for a major offensive in Darfur, once again threatening a major humanitarian catastrophe and risking the safety and security of 

millions of civilians; 

Whereas, according to the Government of Sudan’s plan, in a 

document submitted to the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Kofi Annan, the Government of Sudan planned 

to deploy approximately 26,500 additional troops and 

7,050 additional police to Darfur; 

Whereas the objectives of this deployment were ‘‘to deal with 

the threats posed by the activities of groups that have rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement and to gain control 

over the security situation and achieve stability in 

Darfur’’; 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
3 

HCON 7 RFS 

Whereas on August 31, 2006, the United Nations Security 

Council passed Resolution 1706, expanding the mandate 

of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for 

the additional deployment of 17,300 peacekeeping troops 

and 3,300 civilian police personnel as well as 16 formed 

police units to Darfur; 

Whereas implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the 

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is slow, 

raising serious concern about the commitment of the 

Government of Sudan to fulfill its responsibilities; 

Whereas President Omar Hassan El-Bashir of Sudan rejected the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping 

force to Darfur, even as First Vice President Salva Kiir 

publicly stated his support for the deployment of a 

United Nations peacekeeping mission to Darfur; 

Whereas in March 2006, at the Khartoum summit, Arab 

leaders worked against a plan to transform the African 

Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) into a United Nations 

protection force with a mandate to protect civilians; 

Whereas on August 20, 2006, in Cairo, Egypt, the League 

of Arab States met and backed Sudan’s refusal of a 

United Nations peacekeeping force in the war-wracked 

Darfur region; 

Whereas in September 2006, a resolution passed by the 

League of Arab States Council of Foreign Ministers 

called for the United Nations Security Council to give the 

Sudanese Government more time to implement its ‘‘plan 

to improve conditions and preserve security’’ in Darfur; 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
4 

HCON 7 RFS 

Whereas on November 30, 2006, the Peace and Security 

Council of the African Union approved a decision to extend the mandate of AMIS in Darfur through July 2007; 

Whereas, although the United Nations was authorized and 

prepared to send peacekeeping forces to Darfur under 

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706 (2006), 

the League of Arab States worked to obstruct the deployment of such forces or had sought to reduce their mandate; 

Whereas the November 30, 2006, Abuja Communique of the 

Peace and Security Council of the African Union endorsed the deployment of a hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force and stated the following: 

(1) The Special Representative shall be jointly appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, after appropriate consultations as per the practice. 

(2) The Force Commander, who should be an African, shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Commission in consultation with the Secretary-General of the 

United Nations. 

(3) The Mission shall benefit from United Nations 

backstopping and command and control structures and 

systems. 

(4) The size of the force shall be determined by the 

African Union and the United Nations, taking into account all relevant factors and the situation on the 

ground, as well as the requirements for it to effectively 

discharge its mandate. 

Whereas in March 2007, ongoing negotiations between the 

United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and 

President Omar Hassan El-Bashir of Sudan took place 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
5 

HCON 7 RFS 

under the auspices of the League of Arab States Summit 

in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and with the encouragement of 

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Secretary General of the 

League of Arab States; 

Whereas on April 16, 2007, Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam 

Akol announced that Sudan fully accepts a ‘‘heavy support’’ package from the United Nations, including significant additional logistical and military support, which represents the second phase of a three-step plan to create 

a hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping 

force of approximately 17,000 troops and 3,000 police; 

and 

Whereas the support of the League of Arab States and each 

Member State individually will be critical to end the 

genocide in Darfur: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) strongly urges the League of Arab States 

4 and each Member State individually to declare the 

5 systematic torture, rape, and displacement of 

6 Darfurians a genocide; 

7 (2) strongly urges the League of Arab States 

8 and each Member State individually to agree and 

9 pass a resolution at their next meeting to support 

10 and accept a robust hybrid United Nations-African 

11 Union peacekeeping force, as agreed to by all parties 

12 to the Abuja Communique on November 30, 2006, 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
6 

HCON 7 RFS 

1 to enforce the ceasefire, protect civilians, and ensure 

2 access to humanitarian assistance in Darfur; and 

3 (3) strongly urges the League of Arab States to 

4 continue to work with the United Nations, the Afri5 can Union and the United States Presidential Spe6 cial Envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, to bring 

7 about real and lasting peace and stability in Darfur, 

8 the refugee camps, and along the Chadian border. 

Passed the House of Representatives April 25, 2007. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS