Sudan Genocide Q and A

What has the US done up to this point to change the situation in Darfur? What is your opinion on their reaction?

Not much There have been several bills passed that are really just face-saving actions. Here they are: (I have a little commentary in caps locks below)

Declaration of Genocide in Darfur (H.Con.Res.467)

Passed September 7, 2004 in the House of Representatives

The House unanimously passed H.Con.Res.467 to declare atrocities occurring in Darfur genocide. In addition, it called upon the US to do the following:



assume responsibility to act and stop genocide as mandated by the 1948 UN Genocide Convention;

consider leading a multilateral or even unilateral intervention to stop violence in Darfur;

impose sanctions, visa bans, and asset freezes on the Sudanese Congress and individual leaders of genocide in Darfur;

establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund so that those driven off their land may return and begin to rebuild their communities.



Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 (S.2781)

Signed into law on December 23, 2004

Introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act passed unanimously in the Senate and was subsequently passed by a voice vote in the House of Representatives. Among its provisions, this bill:

authorizes the President to address the humanitarian and human rights crisis in the Darfur region and eastern Chad

makes assistance for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement contingent upon the Government of Sudan:

demobilizing the Janjaweed militias

cooperating with aid workers

permitting the return of displaced persons to their homes

installing a new coalition government based upon the Nairobi Declaration on the Final Phase of Peace in the Sudan

directs the President to implement sanctions in support of the peace in Darfur



WHILE THE PRESIDENT MAY HAVE THIS POWER HE HAS NEVER USED IT NONE OF THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.


Amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (HR 1268) Amendment approved May 1, 2005 by a Joint Conference Committee
HR 1268 made law May 11, 2005 when signed by the President

Contained in HR 1268 are amendments allocating funds to humanitarian and security efforts in Darfur, including:

$45 million for international disaster and famine assistance for Sudan

$55 million for the peacekeeping operations in Darfur and the establishment and operation of a Sudan war crimes tribunal



HOWEVER __ MOST HUMANITARIAN GROUPS HAVE LEFT SUDAN BECAUSE OF THE DANGER. FUNDING THEM ISNT ALWAYS EFFECTIVE BUT IT REMAINS NECESSARY. THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY ISNT ENOUGH.



National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur
Senate Resolution 186
Proposed June 16, 2005 by Senators Brownback (R-KS) and Sen. Corzine (D-NJ)
Passed July 1, 2005 in Senate by unanimous consent.


House Resolution 333
Proposed June 20, 2005 by Representatives Payne (D-NJ), Tancredo (R-CO), Wexler (D-FL), Wolf (R-VA), Lantos (D-CA), Smith (D-NJ), Rangel (D-NY), Conyers (D-MI), Lee (D-CA)
Passed July 11, 2005 in House by unanimous consent

In both the House and Senate, these bills call for a National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur. They encourage churches, synagogues, mosques, religious institutions and all Americans to consider Darfur in their activities on this weekend and to pray for an end to the genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur.



SORRY, BUT I DONTTHINK NATIONAL PRAYER IS THE BEST SOLUTION EITHER. HOWEVER, THIS HELPS SPREAD AWARENESS



Darfur Peace and Accountability Act



introduced on June 30, 2005, by Senators Brownback (R-KS) and Corzine (D-NJ), and Representatives Hyde (R-IL), Payne (D-NJ), Smith (R-NJ), Lantos (D-CA), Royce (R-CA), Tancredo (R-CO), Wolf (R-VA), Jackson-Lee (D-TX), and Capuano (D-MA).



The two bills (HR 3127 in the House and S 1462 in the Senate) have received bipartisan support, but with attention focused elsewhere, congressional action on this legislation remains uncertain.



Affirms Genocide is occurring and Calls for:

Expansion of the size and mandate of the African Union to provide protection to civilians and aid workers

Assistance to the African Union force, including NATO logistical support

Asset and travel sanctions against individuals designated by the president as responsible for atrocities in Darfur

Appointment of a presidential envoy for Sudan

Additional U.S. and U.N. sanctions, including denial of entry at U.S. ports to ships involved in Sudans oil sector



AGAIN, WHILE THIS POWER MAY EXIST, NONE OF IT HAS HAPPENED. THE BULK DEPENDS ON INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION BUT RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE A TENDENCY TO VETO ALL EFFORTS. ON THE FLIP SIDE, THIS WEEK THE UN AGREED TO PUT SANCTIONS ON FOUR MEN RUSSIA AND CHINA DIDNT VETO BUT ABSTAINED


Bush recently asked for $389 million for Darfur: $161 million for peacekeeping, $150 million for food aid, and $78 million for non-food and reconstruction.



2. Do you think that the foreign policy response the US has had in the Darfur situation follows a pattern of response towards African nations? (or, does there seem to be a general response to tragedy in African nations that differs from the attention given to others, in Europe for example?)



Yes, and I think it has a lot to do with money and race. I think that we have little investment in Africa and therefore have no economic reasons to assist in tragedy. Further, I think we live in a society that is racist to the point of making African people committing acts of violence normal/natural/innate and therefore simply the way it is as opposed to violence in Europe. Look at what happened with the French riots everyone saw it as an anomaly. However, with the genocide in Sudan, or the struggles in Uganda, there is no reaction because people think that is how their culture is. We are a racist country, and our foreign policy reflects that.

3. Why do you think that the US is unwilling to call the events in Sudan "genocide?"

They have called the actions in Sudan a genocide but havent acted. I think it is because of a lack of public interest in the effort and a lack of economic gain for the US if we enter Sudan. I do think that, if people make more noise, this could change.

4. Do you think that race, racism, discrimination and/or religious affiliation has influenced the actions of the US in Sudan? In addition to the race issue above, in regards to religion, I dont know. The bulk of Darfurans are either Christian or members of local religious groups. The bulk of the Sudanese Govt/Janjaweed are Muslim. Im not sure how the US religiosity is playing a role in this. It seems like our nation doesnt have a problem fighting a crusade against Islam, so Im not sure that is the problem here. I defer to my answer to number two.

5. Is there a difference between the US' foreign policy response to tragedy in African /Latin American as compared to that seen in Europe, the Middle East or Asia?

There is an incredibly different level of policy. I think it goes back to number one and two. I think it is about money and racism we arent getting as much wealth from having ties with Africa (but we can exploit people fairly easily). However, business ties in Latin American and Asia bring a lot of wealth. Further, I think race has a huge play in this and, in addition to what I said earlier if our society is already objectifying African peoples (dehumanizing them), than treating people in African different than those of other nations isnt a stretch. There is no need to explain differences in tx if people dont see Africans as like us if they dont see Africans as human.


Thank you so much for ur help Krissy...ttyl

Hope that helped. I was kind of in a rush, so I may not have been as eloquent as I would have liked.

Peace, k