US Congress to Foreign Companies: Support Khartoum, Lose Our Contracts

October 16, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (SADA), authored by Sens. Christopher Dodd and Richard Shelby, will be considered by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 10:00 AM. SADA is the Senate companion to the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act, authored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, which passed the House of Representatives on July 31 with a 418-1 vote. SADA would authorize state and local governments to divest from companies that support the Khartoum government at the expense of marginalized populations in Sudan and would prohibit federal contracts with those companies unless they implement substantial humanitarian programs in response to the Darfur genocide.

John Prendergast, Co-Chair of the ENOUGH Project and an expert on Sudan, said, “The United States Congress first described the crisis in Darfur as genocide over three years ago and the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act represents its most aggressive response to date. The Sudanese government, long susceptible to economic pressure, will listen and respond to this tough action. As the international community readies for the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Darfur and peace negotiations in Tripoli, sustained pressure must be brought to bear on Khartoum to prevent the regime from obstructing peace efforts and the deployment of the hybrid force.”

Since 2005, 20 states and over 50 universities have adopted Sudan divestment policies. The movement has rapidly spread through Europe: in July the European Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution calling on European Union members to support targeted Sudan divestment efforts. Seven major foreign companies – CHC Helicopter, ABB, Siemens, Rolls Royce, ICSA of India, Schlumberger and La Mancha Resources – have ceased problematic operations in Sudan or significantly changed their behavior in the country since the proliferation of the Sudan divestment movement.

Sen. Chuck Hagel’s attempt to kill SADA

Sen. Chuck Hagel has proposed an amendment to SADA that would empower President Bush to interfere on a case-by-case basis with individual state and localities’ investment decisions. The Bush administration, which has opposed SADA, would likely use the Hagel amendment to kill the bill’s binding provisions. This marks the second genocide-related measure that the Bush administration has opposed in recent weeks, despite the fact that for the past three years the President has declared that the crimes taking place in Darfur constitute “genocide.”

The administration’s position on SADA has been ambiguous and contradictory. At a hearing on the issue last week, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazier said, “My experience is that we will have to continue to put pressure on this government at every moment in time to make sure that they cooperate, because it is a divided government.” Despite recognizing and anticipating Sudan’s obstructionism, the Administration has opposed preventative action by lobbying against this measure.

Today, activists across the country, from the Genocide Intervention Network, STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, and the Save Darfur Coalition, are calling members of the Senate Banking Committee to support SADA and vote “no” on Sen. Hagel’s amendment. Additionally, advertisements supporting SADA ran today in major Washington-area newspapers.

Who will lose their federal contracts?

The Sudan Divestment Task Force, a project of the Genocide Intervention Network, maintains a list of problematic companies supporting the Sudanese government. The following four companies appear on this list and, as of September 2007, maintained contracts with the federal government: ALSTOM (FRANCE), LAHMEYER INTERNATIONAL (GERMANY), MITSUI ENGINEERING & SHIPBUILDING (JAPAN), MOTT MACDONALD (UK).

If SADA passes, all companies renewing or pursuing new contracts with the federal government must certify that they do not support the Sudanese government.

The Genocide Intervention Network is working to build the first permanent anti-genocide constituency in the United States, mobilizing the political will to stop genocide when it occurs. Accessible online at www.GenocideIntervention.net, GI-Net empowers individuals with tools to stop genocide through education, fundraising for civilian protection and advocacy efforts.