America
Congress Caucus demands explanations of US policy towards Sudan
Oct 31, 2005 (WASHINGTON) — US Congressional Caucus on Sudan demanded Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice, an explanation of the U.S. policy towards Sudan in the wake of a number of troubling developments.
In a letter co-signed by 105 members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, Congressman Mike Capuano, co-chair of Congressional Caucus on Sudan expressed alarm at what appears to be a shift in U.S. policy toward Sudan.
“Rather than hold accountable a regime that the President, former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the Congress declared guilty of genocide, we appear to be engaged in a policy of appeasement,” the lawmakers wrote.
Federal lawmakers outlined three areas of significant concern: recent escalade of violence which hinders humanitarian aid for refugees, delay in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and an apparent softening of U.S. policy towards the Government of Sudan.
“The Government of Sudan, including people in power when over 400,000 civilians were killed, was granted a waiver by the State Department to hire a U.S. lobbyist for $530,000. Their responsibilities include assisting the Government of Sudan with an image-boosting public relations campaign”, the letter said
Further evidence of a shift in U.S. policy comes in the recent report that Sudan’s Trafficking in Persons status was upgraded from a Tier III to a Tier II watch-list country, despite the fact that there is no evidence to justify this upgrade. With this change, Sudan was placed in the same category as Tier II democratic countries like Switzerland.
“Only this past January the UN Commission of Inquiry released a report on Darfur in which it documented cases of Sudanese troops involved in abductions and sexual slavery. On what grounds, then, was Sudan upgraded? What “significant efforts” were made? And for what purpose was Sudan’s Trafficking in Persons status elevated?” Congressman Capuano wrote.
“The United States has declared that the atrocities in Darfur constitute genocide. Any actions that appear to be inconsistent with that declaration are concerning and we expect clarification from Secretary Rice on US policy,” Capuano stated.
On 21 October the Republican congressman Frank Wolf criticized the State Department for allowing a U.S. lobbying firm to work for Sudan while the Bush administration is trying to tighten sanctions on the African country over the bloody conflict in its Darfur region.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli did not respond specifically to Wolf’s letter. But he said the department’s decisions were aimed at getting Sudan “to take responsible actions with regard to the violence in Darfur, and to facilitate and assist humanitarian work in Darfur, and to negotiate a political solution to the violence in Darfur.”
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US Congressional Caucus on Sudan letter to Condoleezza Rice,
In a letter co-signed by 105 members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, Congressman Mike Capuano, co-chair of Congressional Caucus on Sudan expressed alarm at what appears to be a shift in U.S. policy toward Sudan.
“Rather than hold accountable a regime that the President, former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and the Congress declared guilty of genocide, we appear to be engaged in a policy of appeasement,” the lawmakers wrote.
Federal lawmakers outlined three areas of significant concern: recent escalade of violence which hinders humanitarian aid for refugees, delay in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and an apparent softening of U.S. policy towards the Government of Sudan.
“The Government of Sudan, including people in power when over 400,000 civilians were killed, was granted a waiver by the State Department to hire a U.S. lobbyist for $530,000. Their responsibilities include assisting the Government of Sudan with an image-boosting public relations campaign”, the letter said
Further evidence of a shift in U.S. policy comes in the recent report that Sudan’s Trafficking in Persons status was upgraded from a Tier III to a Tier II watch-list country, despite the fact that there is no evidence to justify this upgrade. With this change, Sudan was placed in the same category as Tier II democratic countries like Switzerland.
“Only this past January the UN Commission of Inquiry released a report on Darfur in which it documented cases of Sudanese troops involved in abductions and sexual slavery. On what grounds, then, was Sudan upgraded? What “significant efforts” were made? And for what purpose was Sudan’s Trafficking in Persons status elevated?” Congressman Capuano wrote.
“The United States has declared that the atrocities in Darfur constitute genocide. Any actions that appear to be inconsistent with that declaration are concerning and we expect clarification from Secretary Rice on US policy,” Capuano stated.
On 21 October the Republican congressman Frank Wolf criticized the State Department for allowing a U.S. lobbying firm to work for Sudan while the Bush administration is trying to tighten sanctions on the African country over the bloody conflict in its Darfur region.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli did not respond specifically to Wolf’s letter. But he said the department’s decisions were aimed at getting Sudan “to take responsible actions with regard to the violence in Darfur, and to facilitate and assist humanitarian work in Darfur, and to negotiate a political solution to the violence in Darfur.”
(ST)
US Congressional Caucus on Sudan letter to Condoleezza Rice,