IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 194

Regarding the importance of international efforts to abolish slavery and 

other human rights abuses in the Sudan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2003

Mr. CAPUANO (for himself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. WOLF, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. 

FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and 

Mr. WEXLER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION

Regarding the importance of international efforts to abolish 

slavery and other human rights abuses in the Sudan.

Whereas the efforts of the government of Khartoum to subjugate the peoples of the southern Sudan have led to the 

death of more than 2,000,000 persons and the displacement of another 4,000,000 persons; 

Whereas the 2001 State Department Country Report on 

Human Rights estimates that between 5,000 and 15,000 

Dinka women and children have been abducted during 

the past 15 years, and that between 10,000 and 12,000 

persons remain in captivity; 
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Whereas credible observers report that some of the abductees 

were sold into slavery and others used as forced labor or 

drafted into the military, including children; 

Whereas the 2002 State Department Country Report on 

Human Rights notes that persons held in government 

controlled ‘‘Peace’’ camps for internally displaced persons 

were reportedly subjected to forced labor; 

Whereas the Special Rapporteur for Sudan to the General 

Assembly of the United Nations concluded, on November 

4, 2002, that the dire human rights situation in Sudan 

had not significantly changed; 

Whereas the United States Civilian Protection Monitoring 

Team (CPMT) reported in February 2003 that militia allied with the Government of Sudan and supported directly by Government of Sudan troops continued to 

abduct civilians in the western Upper Nile region of 

Sudan; 

Whereas subsequent to the February 2003 report of the Civilian Protection Monitoring Team, the Government of 

Sudan has restricted the movements of the CPMT and 

prevented it from carrying out its mandate; 

Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights declares ‘‘[n]o one shall be held in slavery or servitude: 

slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their 

forms’’; 

Whereas numerous human rights organizations, including 

Christian Solidarity International, the Center for Religious Freedom of Freedom House, and the American 

Anti-Slavery Group have demanded an end to slavery in 
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all its forms and, in particular, to the abuses practiced 

by the Government of Sudan; 

Whereas the National Association for the Advancement of 

Colored People adopted, in May 1995, a Resolution to 

Combat Modern Day Slavery stating that slavery in 

Sudan was an ‘‘irrefutable fact, corroborated by numerous sources,’’ and pledging that ‘‘we will not rest until 

these slaves are freed’’; 

Whereas the House of Representatives has repeatedly decried 

human rights abuses in Sudan and called for the abolition of the slave trade and of chattel slavery in Sudan; 

Whereas the House of Representatives committed itself to 

practical measures to suppress the slave trade and chattel slavery in the Sudan by the passage, by a vote of 

359–8, in the 107th Congress of H.R. 5531, the ‘‘Sudan 

Peace Act’’, and the Senate passed a similar measure, S. 

180, unanimously; 

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Human Rights 

is now conducting its 59th session in Geneva from March 

17 through April 25, 2003; 

Whereas the United States rejoined the United Nations Commission on Human Rights having been elected to a threeterm beginning in 2003; 

Whereas the head of the United States delegation to the 

United Nations Commission on Human rights, 

Ambassaador Jeane Kirkpatrick, declared in her opening 

address that ‘‘[t]he Commission has the solemn duty to 

speak for those who are denied the right to speak for 

themselves’’; 

Whereas Human Rights Watch and many other concerned 

persons and organizations have called upon the United 
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Nations Commission on Human Rights to renew the 

mandate of the Special Rapporteur on human rights for 

Sudan, and to condemn gross abuses of human rights 

and violations of international humanitarian law by the 

Sudanese Government and rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) forces; and 

Whereas the current session of United Nations Commission 

on Human Rights will be discussing whether to change 

the status of Sudan from ‘‘Item 9’’, country with grave 

human rights problems justifying the appointment of a 

Special Rapporteur to investigate abuses and to report on 

them, to a lesser level of concern: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) slavery, under any circumstances, is an un4 conscionable practice; 

5 (2) the subjection inherent in slavery inevitably 

6 leads to other abuses, including torture and rape; 

7 (3) human rights abuses and slavery in Sudan 

8 remain a matter of the most profound concern; 

9 (4) the United States must resist attempts to 

10 ignore or condone these outrages; 

11 (5) the United States must support the mainte12 nance, by the United Nations Commission on 

13 Human Rights, of Sudan as an ‘‘Item 9’’ country, 

14 requiring a Special Rapporteur; and 

15 (6) the United States should encourage the 

16 United Nations to consider reinstating sanctions 
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1 against Sudan and urge the European Union, the 

2 African Union, and all others who express concern 

3 for human freedom and dignity to be engaged in ac4 tivities that will convince Sudan to abolish slavery 

5 and respect human rights.

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