US Senate banking committee sends powerful message to Sudan

October 17, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — By a vote of 21 to 0, the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (SADA) passed the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. In addition, Sen. Chuck Hagel withdrew an amendment which would have rendered the bill toothless.

SADA, which now heads to the Senate floor, 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. 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.

The Genocide Intervention Network recognizes the leadership of the bill’s authors, Chairman Chris Dodd and Ranking Member Richard Shelby, and encourages the full Senate to consider the bill before the start of negotiations between the government of Sudan and rebel groups in Tripoli, Libya on Oct. 27, 2007, to send a message to Khartoum that the government must participate constructively in the peace process and allow the full deployment of the UN-African Union peacekeeping force.

“The Senate Banking Committee, despite wavering from the Bush administration, has sent a powerful message to the Khartoum government – American investors will not be in the business of funding genocide,” said Genocide Intervention Network Executive Director Mark Hanis.

In addition, Hanis called on Sen. Hagel to refrain from re-introducing his amendment on the Senate floor, “this amendment would interfere with the implementation of state law that is already on the books and potentially prevent states from disassociating their investments from genocide.”

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.

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 the Senate and is signed into law, all companies renewing or pursuing new contracts with the federal government must certify that they do not support the Sudanese government.