WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has received a grade of “A” from the Genocide Intervention Network for his strong support of aggressive U.S. action to stop the violence in the Darfur region of the Sudan.  The Genocide Intervention Network is a non-profit organization working to stop genocide around the globe.

“The genocide in Darfur is inexcusable, and the United States has a moral obligation to lead the world to stop the killing there,” said Rep. Cardin, Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission.  "I’m committed to that cause, and I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to pursue a much more aggressive course of action to save lives in Sudan.”

In 2004, the House and Senate became the first governmental body in U.S. history to declare a genocide while it was occurring.  Unanimous Congressional resolutions declared that an ongoing genocide backed by the Sudanese government is occurring in Darfur.  It also recognized that the atrocities in Darfur have claimed the lives of more than 400,000 civilians and displaced 2.5 million people. 

The Genocide Intervention Network scorecard measures the support of members of Congress for significant Darfur legislation introduced in the 109th Congress. The legislation included provisions calling on the U.N. Security Council to approve a trained and adequate Darfur peacekeeping mission; an emergency $50 million appropriation for African Union peacekeepers; and a request directing that the President block the assets of, and deny visas and U.S. entry to, any individual associated with acts of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity in Sudan, among other measures.

“If stopping genocide in Darfur becomes a top priority for the United States, the atrocities can be stopped,” said Mark Hanis, Executive Director of the Network. “The efforts of champions in Congress bring our great country closer to that commitment."

Among the actions urgently requiring congressional action are an increase in appropriations for peacekeeping operations in Darfur, and appointment of a high-level envoy to Sudan to focus on engaging the relevant parties and ending the atrocities.

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