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Amendment Requiring Report on Darfur Approved by the Senate
On June 22 the Senate approved an amendment, introduced by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), that would require the president to submit regular reports to Congress on the progress made in implementing the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).
Senator Clinton’s amendment 4361 passed by unanimous consent as part of S.2766, the Defense Authorization Bill, and was co-sponsored by Senators Lautenberg, Schumer, Menendez, Durbin, Collins, Chafee and Reid. Senator Reid also sponsored amendment 4439 calling for the Department of Defense to submit a report detailing U.S. assistance to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) that also passed by unanimous consent. S. 2766 will now go to a conference committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
The DPA was signed by the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese Liberation Movement, the main rebel faction, on May 5th, 2006. It calls for, among other things, disarming the Janjaweed militia, who continue to terrorize civilians in Darfur, an end to disruption in the flow of urgent humanitarian aid, and requires displaced persons and refugees to be allowed to return to their homes. The agreement has been criticized because it lacks the participation of two smaller rebel factions, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and a rival faction of the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM/A) led by Abdelwahid Mohamed al-Nur.
Citizens for Global Solutions applauds Senator Clinton and Senator Reid for proposing their amendments. The U.S. government has called the conditions in Darfur genocide and needs to remain engaged in the peace process, at the highest level. An estimated 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur and over 2 million people are internally displaced within the country. With a UN Peacekeeping Mission to Darfur expected before the end of the year the Clinton and Reid amendments will keep focus on this ongoing conflict and help bring attention to violators of the peace agreement and human rights.
