Royce praises House move on Sudan

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2004 (UPI) — The U.S. House issued what U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., called a stark warning to the Sudanese government Friday over the ongoing genocide in Darfur.

Royce, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, lauded the House for going on record as, “Declaring the atrocities being committed in the Darfur region of Sudan to be ‘genocide,'” during the floor debate on a resolution declaring genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

The resolution, Royce said, “is a statement for the world, and a stark warning to the Sudanese government.”

“Peace isn’t divisible in Sudan. It’s cliche, but in Darfur, Khartoum is showing its true colors. Today, that government is hearing loud and clear that there will be no U.S. aid or improved relations, no support for the peace process, as long as the killing continues in Darfur,” Royce said.

The resolution urges the Bush administration to consider seriously the possibility of multilateral or unilateral intervention to stop the genocide in Darfur and passed the House Friday by a vote of 422 to 0.