IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 432 

Condemning the attacks on peaceful protesters and supporting an immediate 

peaceful transition to a civilian-led democratic government in Sudan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 10, 2019 

Mr. KILDEE (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the attacks on peaceful protesters and supporting an immediate peaceful transition to a civilianled democratic government in Sudan. 

Whereas in 2016, the Government of the United States 

launched a plan aimed at reducing conflict and expanding 

humanitarian access in Sudan, improving counterterrorism cooperation, ending Sudan’s negative interference 

in South Sudan, and addressing the threat of the Lord’s 

Resistance Army, that, according to the Department of 

State, led to significant progress in these areas and resulted in the lifting of some United States sanctions on 

Sudan in October 2017; 

Whereas the Department of State announced ‘‘Phase II’’ of 

the bilateral reengagement framework with Sudan in NoVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:09 Jun 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR432.IH HR432

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•HRES 432 IH 

vember 2018, under which the United States would consider rescinding Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor 

of terrorism if the country met the relevant statutory criteria for delisting and if the Government of Sudan made 

progress along six identified areas of concern related to 

counterterrorism cooperation, humanitarian access, respect for human rights, a cessation of internal hostilities 

and a conducive environment for peace processes, efforts 

to address outstanding terrorism-related legal claims, and 

adherence to United Nations Security Council resolutions 

on North Korea; 

Whereas despite the Government of Sudan’s pledge to cease 

hostilities, the United Nations Panel of Experts on the 

Sudan reported in January 2019 that forces of the Government of Sudan had launched ‘‘large-scale military operations’’ against insurgents in the Jebel Marra region of 

Darfur in 2018 and that elements of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and associated militia were implicated in indiscriminate shootings, rape, acts of torture, and other 

inhumane treatment of civilians; 

Whereas the Department of State’s country reports on 

human rights practices describe reports of serious human 

rights violations by Sudan’s intelligence service and military, including the Rapid Support Forces, citing credible 

reports that villages in Jebel Marra were targeted for attack in 2018, resulting in the displacement of thousands 

of civilians and noting that Sudan’s Rapid Support 

Forces were implicated in the majority of reported 

human rights violations against civilians in the country; 

Whereas contrary to the requirements of Phase II, humanitarian organizations report that humanitarian access restrictions have persisted, including bureaucratic interVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:09 Jun 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR432.IH HR432

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•HRES 432 IH 

ference, and reports of serious human rights abuses and 

media censorship increased after Phase II was launched; 

Whereas in December 2018, protests that began in Damazin 

and Atbara spread across the country, with thousands of 

Sudanese gathering to demand political change; 

Whereas the Government of Sudan responded to the protests 

by detaining hundreds of people, including protesters, 

members of the political opposition, civil society, journalists, and more than a dozen American citizens, and by 

using excessive and lethal force against protesters, killing 

more than 100 people since the demonstrations began; 

Whereas in late February 2019, President Bashir declared a 

yearlong nationwide state of emergency, dissolving the 

Federal and State governments and appointing senior 

military officers to key government posts, banning unauthorized gatherings, demonstrations, and strikes, expanding authorization for searches, seizures, and arrests, and 

barring news deemed to undermine his government; 

Whereas tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of protesters 

gathered in Khartoum on April 6, 2019, calling for the 

end of the government of President Bashir, and on April 

11, 2019, he was ousted from power by the military and 

replaced by Defense Minister and First Vice President 

Lt. Gen. Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, who later ceded power 

to Military Inspector General and Army Chief Lt. Gen. 

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan; 

Whereas Lt. Gen. Burhan has stated that his Transitional 

Military Council is committed to transferring power to a 

civilian government, but the Council has yet to reach consensus with opposition representatives on a transitional 

arrangement; 


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•HRES 432 IH 

Whereas protesters have maintained their vigil in Khartoum, 

despite the reported arrest of Bashir, calling for the military to transfer power to a civilian-led transitional authority that will end Sudan’s civil wars, address the country’s economic crisis, and lay the foundations for democratic elections; 

Whereas the delay by the Transitional Military Council in 

meeting the demands of the protesters and the African 

Union Peace and Security Council to ‘‘step aside and 

hand over power to a civilian-led transitional authority, 

in accordance with the will of the people and constitutional order’’, has led to rising tensions; 

Whereas negotiations between the Transitional Military 

Council and the opposition coalition, known as the Forces 

for Freedom and Change, on the composition and powers 

of a transitional government are complicated by the role 

of individuals in the Military Council who have been accused of war crimes, by the Council’s insistence on Islamic Sharia law as the basis for laws, and by security 

forces use of live fire against protesters in the cities of 

Nyala, Zalingei, and Khartoum, resulting in multiple 

deaths, during the talks; and 

Whereas in the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004, 

Congress expressed its sense that individuals found to be 

involved in the planning or carrying out of genocide, war 

crimes, or crimes against humanity should not hold leadership positions in the Government of Sudan: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) stands in solidarity with the people of 

3 Sudan and strongly supports the right of the SudaVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:09 Jun 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR432.IH HR432

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•HRES 432 IH 

1 nese people to assemble peacefully and express their 

2 legitimate demands for fundamental political change, 

3 including a democratic, civilian-led government; 

4 (2) condemns the Government of Sudan’s use of 

5 violence and arbitrary detention against peaceful 

6 protesters and the harassment and intimidation of 

7 medical professionals, journalists, human rights de8 fenders, political opposition, and civil society actors; 

9 (3) strongly supports an immediate transfer of 

10 power by the military to an inclusive, civilian-led 

11 government that reflects the aspirations of the Suda12 nese people and puts Sudan on the path toward de13 mocracy and peace; 

14 (4) condemns efforts by regional actors to un15 dermine negotiations between the Military Council 

16 and the protesters, including efforts to offer finan17 cial support to military leaders; 

18 (5) encourages the African Union and its mem19 ber states to continue supporting the Sudanese peo20 ple’s aspirations for democracy, justice, and peace; 

21 (6) urges the United States Government to con22 tinue efforts to convene and work with the inter23 national community in support of a civilian-led gov24 ernment in Sudan; 


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1 (7) emphasizes that a more positive and pro2 ductive relationship between the United States and 

3 Sudan requires meaningful political reform, greater 

4 accountability, and a clear demonstration by the 

5 Government of Sudan of greater respect for human 

6 rights; 

7 (8) calls upon Sudanese authorities to— 

8 (A) immediately cease attacks on pro9 testers and civilians, respect the right to free10 dom of association and expression, and inves11 tigate protester deaths and pursue account12 ability for serious crimes and human rights 

13 abuses that have occurred in the past three dec14 ades; 

15 (B) protect the rights of political parties, 

16 journalists, human rights defenders, religious 

17 minorities, and nongovernmental organizations 

18 to operate without interference and release po19 litical prisoners; 

20 (C) lift the bureaucratic restrictions on, 

21 and facilitate unhindered access across the 

22 country for, humanitarian relief operations; 

23 (D) introduce strong measures to create 

24 transparency and address the structural corrup25 tion and kleptocracy of the state; 


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1 (E) meaningfully engage with opposition 

2 forces in Darfur, Southern Kordofan, and Blue 

3 Nile with the aim of achieving a just and sus4 tainable peace; and 

5 (F) foster conditions for a viable transition 

6 to democracy, economic stability, and sustain7 able peace and development; and 

8 (9) calls upon the people of Sudan to work to9 gether to resolve conflicts peacefully. 

Æ 


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