Statement by John Kerry on the Deteriorating Situation in Sudan’s Darfur
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Mark Kitchens of Kerry-Edwards 2004, 202-464-2800
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ — Senator John Kerry released the following statement today:
“Months ago, I urged the president to call the crisis in Darfur, Sudan, by its rightful name: genocide. The Bush Administration finally did so in September, but shamefully it has done nothing effective to halt this genocide. Words without deeds are meaningless – especially when people are dying every day.
“Rarely have the costs of the Bush Administration’s inaction and failed leadership been clearer. Attacks on innocent civilians continue. The death toll in Darfur is quickly mounting. At least 70,000 civilians are already dead. Close to 1.5 million people have been displaced, and nearly 300,000 have been forced to flee to refugee camps in neighboring Chad. More than 200,000 people were forced from their homes last month alone. This week, the deteriorating security situation forced the United Nations’ World Food Program to scale back its critical relief operation. A senior USAID official recently warned that ‘the crisis has not yet peaked. We have not yet seen the worst,’ and acknowledged that another 250,000 innocent civilians may die before the end of the year.
“What has been President Bush’s response? Toothless U.S.- sponsored UN Security Council resolutions. These empty threats serve mainly to embolden the Khartoum government and underscore the Administration’s loss of international moral authority. The Bush Administration’s lofty praise for the African Union amounts to little without providing it the financial and other support it needs, right now, to deploy more troops to Darfur. The Bush administration has also contributed needed humanitarian assistance, but it is not enough to put a band-aid on genocide.
“As president, I will hold the Sudanese government accountable for this genocide. Either the Khartoum regime relents, or I will work with our European allies and others in the UN Security Council, to immediately impose tough sanctions on that government. These measures should include freezing the assets of the Sudanese Government, its leaders and business affiliates, prohibiting arms sales or transfers to Sudan, and banning the purchase of Sudanese oil. If the UN refuses to act, we will lead our partners outside the Security Council to sanction Khartoum, just as we did the apartheid government of South Africa. I will also work with Congress to strengthen existing U.S. sanctions on Sudan by prohibiting foreign companies doing business in Sudan from trading on U.S. public stock exchanges. At the same time, my Administration will swiftly provide robust logistical, financial and other support to the African Union to enable it to disarm militias, protect civilians and help humanitarian agencies reach those at risk.
“As President, I will restore U.S. moral authority and leadership in the international community. I will not substitute words for deeds in the face of genocide. I will do what is necessary to halt the genocide and punish its perpetrators.”
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