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Issues Foreign
Policy Africa Peace
and Stability Sudan
As Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations
Subcommittee on African Affairs, Senator Feingold closely
monitors the events in Sudan. Since coming to the Senate in
1993, he has spoken out about the violence, the abominable
human rights situation, the persistence of slavery, the humanitarian
crisis that endangers millions in Sudan, and about the government
of Sudan’s record of supporting acts of terrorism. Senator
Feingold was the first member of Congress to speak on the
floor about Darfur in March 2004.
Calling Attention to Darfur:
June
13, 2007 – Statement on Sudan's Acceptance
of a Large Peacekeeping Force in Darfur: "While Sudan’s
acceptance of a hybrid African Union – U.N. peacekeeping mission
for Darfur could be a step in the right direction, the conditions
the Sudanese regime is putting on the expanded mission, such
as it must be an all African force, are unacceptable."
May
29, 2007 – Statement on the President's
announcement of expanded and tightened sanctions on Sudan:
"While I am encouraged by the President’s long
overdue announcement that he is expanding and strengthening
sanctions on Sudan, unilateral actions are only a first step.
A decade of unilateral American sanctions has failed to force
the Sudan regime to end the genocide in Darfur."
May 8, 2007 – House Majority Leader
Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) and Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) sent
a letter to President Bush yesterday, urging him to deliver
a strong message to the Sudanese government that they are
expected to follow through on all agreements regarding continued
humanitarian access to the more than two million Darfurians
who depend on international relief groups for survival.
May 4, 2007 – In a letter to Director of
National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, members of the U.S.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence raised concerns about
the State Department’s recent characterization of the Sudanese
government as a "strong partner in the War on Terror."
March
20 , 2007 – Senator Feingold chaired a
hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African
Affairs on Chad, the Central African Republic, and the regional
impact of the Darfur Crisis.
September
21, 2006 – Press conference with Senators
Brownback, DeWine, Coburn, and Obama on Darfur.
September
19, 2006 – Statement upon the appointment
of Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan, Ambassador Andrew
Natsios.
September
15, 2006 – While observing the Global Day
for Darfur, Feingold urges world leaders to bring an end to
the genocide in Darfur.
August
30, 2006 – Received an "A" grade
from the nonpartisan Genocide Intervention Network for his
work to end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
April
28, 2006 – Called for intervention in Darfur
to end the horrific genocide during the National Call for
Action in Darfur.
January
10, 2005 – During a fact-finding trip to
the region, Feingold met with the Darfur mediation team and
toured refugee camps set up for thousands of Sudanese refugees
who had fled from Darfur.
September
9, 2004 – While questioning U.S. Secretary
of State Colin Powell, Feingold urged the administration to
appoint a special envoy to bring high-level focus to the U.S.
response to the Darfur crisis.
October 21, 2002 – Assisted in the
development of the Sudan Peace Agreement (Public Law 107-245)
condemning human rights violations on all sides.
Voting Record:
April 10, 2007 –
Cosponsored the Sudan
Divestment Authorization Act of 2007, which prohibits
the investment of State assets in any company that has a qualifying
business relationship with Sudan.
February 8, 2007 - Introduced
S.
Res. 76, a resolution calling for a comprehensive regional
strategy in Africa to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian
operations, contain and reduce violence, and contribute to
conditions for sustainable peace in eastern Chad, northern
Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan.
May 2, 2006 – Cosponsored an amendment
(S.AMDT.3777)
to (H.R.4939)
to fund a U.N. Peacekeeping force in Darfur.
March 2, 2006 – Cosponsored Senate
Resolution 383, a resolution calling on the President
to take immediate steps to help improve the security situation
in Darfur.
July 21, 2005 - Cosponsored
S.1462, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act to hold
accountable those responsible for genocide.
April 18, 2005 – Cosponsored an amendment
(S.AMDT.517)
to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R.1268)
to impose sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against
humanity in Darfur.
March 10, 2005 – Cosponsored S.Con.Res.
17, which called for a NATO assessment of the potential
effectiveness of and requirements for a NATO-enforced no-fly
zone over Darfur.
March 2, 2005 – Cosponsored
S.495, which sought to impose sanctions against those
responsible for crimes against humanity in Darfur.
July 22, 2004- Cosponsored S.Con.Res.
133, a resolution declaring the atrocities unfolding in
Darfur to be genocide.
June 23, 2004 - Cosponsored an amendment
to provide $95 million in emergency assistance to Darfur on
S. 2400, the 2005 defense authorization bill.
May 6, 2004 - Introduced with colleagues
S.Con.Res.
99 condemning the government of the Republic of Sudan’s
role in Darfur.
January 25, 2001-
Introduced with colleagues S.
180, the Sudan Peace Act, condemning the human rights
violations on all sides of the conflict.
Floor Statements:
July
31 , 2007 - The United Nations Security Council
is currently considering a resolution expected to authorize
a robust peacekeeping mission to protect the innocent people
of Darfur. This is of course a welcome, and overdue, effort.
By now, there is little disagreement anywhere in the world
that the current force of just over 7,000 courageous but under-equipped
and beleaguered African Union peacekeepers is not adequately
protecting civilians or aid workers.
March
28, 2007 - "Time and time again, history
has taught us that preventing a crisis is much less complicated
and costly than ending and repairing the damage caused by
a humanitarian tragedy. The clumsy and irresolute response
to the current crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, however,
reveals that we still have not learned this painful lesson.
September
11 , 2006 - "At this critical juncture,
the Government of Sudan must fulfill its obligation to relieve
the suffering of its citizens by working with the United Nations
to agree upon a robust, coordinated force to end the violence
in Darfur. It is essential that the international community
displays steadfast solidarity in insisting upon the implementation
of United Nations Resolution 1706 and provides the troops
and resources necessary to follow through on its commitment."
May
10, 2006 - "It is critical that the international
community, working with the African Union, the United Nations,
and regional partners, develop a comprehensive strategy to
ensure that the peace agreement is implemented and adhered
to by both the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation
Army."
April
6, 2005 - "While last week the United Nations
Security Council made some progress on Darfur, much more remains
to be done, and I do not believe that the United States has
exerted adequate diplomatic and political effort on behalf
of the people of Darfur. We ought to be able to do more—to
be more forceful, more focused, more innovative, and more
persuasive—to stop genocide."
February
2, 2005 - "But the truth is that I have
little confidence in the Government of Sudan, and I see no
reason to believe that a north-south peace agreement will
awaken that government to its responsibility to protect all
of its citizens."
July
22, 2004 - "I share the outrage of my colleagues.
But I know that the people of Darfur – the malnourished
children, the victims of rape, the broken families struggling
to survive – these people need more than our outrage.
They need our action."
May
6, 2004 - "Crimes against
humanity have been and continue to be perpetrated in Darfur,
and the criminals responsible for these atrocities—the
planners directing this horror at the highest levels—should
be brought to justice."
March
30, 2004 - I was the first Senator to speak from
the Senate floor about the crisis in Darfur: "Government-supported
militias have deliberately targeted civilians, sometimes focusing
on unprotected villages with no apparent link to the rebels
other than their ethnic profile."
Oversight Letters:
May
4, 2007 - In a letter to Director of National
Intelligence, Michael McConnell, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR),
Russ Feingold (D-WI), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Sheldon Whitehouse
(D-RI) raised concerns about the State Department’s
recent characterization of the Sudanese government as a “strong
partner in the War on Terror.” Citing the state-sponsored
genocide that has killed hundreds of thousands of people in
the Darfur region of Sudan, they asked McConnell to clarify
the assertion that the Sudanese government has “aggressively
pursued terrorist operations directly involving threats to
U.S. interests and personnel in Sudan.”
January
16, 2007 – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold
(D-WI), Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Dick Durbin (D-IL), lead
a bipartisan group of Senators in asking the President to
provide information on his Administration’s preparations
for more aggressive measures to protect the people of Darfur.
In their letter to President Bush, the Senators request specifics
of his Administration’s contingency plan, including
the anticipated timing for the execution of these actions,
the benchmarks that will be used to measure their impact,
and the results the administration hopes to obtain.
November
16, 2006 - Senator Feingold sent a letter to
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chairman Richard
Lugar highlighting disturbing developments in Darfur and asking
for a full committee meeting on this issue.
October 30, 2006 - Senator Feingold signed
a letter to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, urging the
State Department to pressure African governments to use the
upcoming Sino-African cooperation summit in Beijing to call
on China to play a greater role in resolving the situation
in Darfur.
September
15, 2006 - Senator Feingold sent a letter to
African Union Chairman Denis Sassou-Nguesso expressing thanks
for AU efforts and asking the AU to take essential steps to
avert further catastrophe.
September
11, 2006 - Senator Feingold sent a letter to
President Bush urging decisive action to address the disaster
looming in Darfur.
September
11, 2006 - Senator Feingold sent a letter to
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Chairman Richard
Lugar asking for a full committee meeting to revitalize discussions
on the rapid deterioration of conditions in Darfur.
May 12, 2006 - Senator Feingold sent a letter
to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice applauding the peace
agreement and urging next steps to advance peace and justice
in Darfur.
January
30, 2006 – Senator Feingold sent a letter
to President Bush urging the development of options for deploying
additional peacekeepers, sustained pressure on the government
of Sudan, and adequate funding for the peacekeeping mission.
May 10, 2005 - Senator Feingold sent a letter
to President Bush highlighting the need for expeditious review
of the world food situation and the need for additional use
of the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust in Sudan.
October 7, 2005 - Senator
Feingold sent a letter to President Bush conveying profound
concern for the situation in Darfur.
December 22, 2004 - Senator
Feingold sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman
requesting the allocation of additional funds and commodities
to assist in humanitarian aid for Sudan.
June 20, 2004 - Senator
Feingold sent a letter to President Pervez Musharref, President
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, urging his support for
the U.S. draft resolution regarding the crisis in Darfur currently
being circulated in the United Nations Security Council.
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