Darfur: Senate Passes Darfur Peace and Accountability Act

A press release from Save Darfur

The Save Darfur Coalition, an alliance of 140 faith-based, humanitarian and human rights groups representing 130 million Americans, today praised the Senate for passing the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (S. 1462) last night and urged leaders in the House of Representatives to pass the bill in the strongest form possible.

The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, endorsed by the Save Darfur Coalition (http://www.savedarfur.org), has 37 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate and 105 in the House of Representatives. Among its provisions, the bill authorizes additional U.S. assistance to the African Union's peacekeeping force in Sudan, calls for a new U.N. Security Council resolution concerning Darfur, and provides for additional sanctions against the perpetrators of the genocide.

"The Senate has done its job, and now the House International Relations Committee needs to do its part by sending a strong bill with real teeth to the House floor for a vote," said Richard Cizik, vice president for Governmental Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals. "Congress needs to pass legislation that provides resources for African Union troops, consequences for the Sudanese government, and directs the Administration to prioritize this fight."

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"Now is the time for action. We need to use the moral, physical, and economic strength of America to stop what the Bush Administration has already deemed genocide," said Coalition Coordinator David Rubenstein. "As the situation worsens, the people of Darfur desperately need more than just empty words from House members, they need action. We are grateful to Senators Brownback and Corzine for sponsoring the bill, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Lugar for discharging it out of his committee with a positive recommendation, and Senate Majority Leader Frist for bringing it to the floor."

A press release from Sen. Lugar is here

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Dick Lugar applauded Senate passage of S.1462, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. Lugar favorably discharged the legislation from the Foreign Relations Committee on October 28 and signaled his support for Senate passage to the Majority Leader’s office.

“The United States has been leading the international response to the Darfur crisis, and Congress has been in the vanguard since the reports of the situation reached our offices in early 2004,” said Lugar. “Senate passage of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act is an additional call for international participation and devotion of resources to the crisis in Darfur and to reinforcing the common goal of peace and stability.”

“The situation in Darfur remains grave,” Lugar continued. “The international community and the United States must not relinquish their responsibility to consolidate a comprehensive peace in Sudan, which is contingent upon a resolution to the Darfur crisis.”