Originally issued as a CGS press release on March 3, 2005.
Washington DC – Citizens for Global Solutions welcomes the Darfur Accountability Act, as introduced by Senators Corzine (D-NJ) and Brownback (R-KS), and hopes that it will be a catalyst for action to end the atrocities in Darfur, Sudan. The bill not only demonstrates that a bipartisan consensus exists on Darfur, but also advocates courses of action that Citizens for Global Solutions has long endorsed. Among other things, the Darfur Accountability Act recommends a new UN Security Council resolution with sanctions, concerted diplomacy, a more effective African Union mandate, and the extension of the current arms embargo to cover the Government of Sudan.
“This bill is an impressive bipartisan effort to end the atrocities in Darfur,” remarked Stuart Ford International Law and Justice Program Coordinator for Citizens for Global Solutions. “An overwhelming majority of Americans of every political persuasion believe the U.S. can and should do more to end the suffering in Sudan. The Darfur Accountability Act is a blueprint for America’s role in this task.”
The Darfur Accountability Act properly underscores the human tragedy that is currently taking place in Sudan, and offers reasonable methods the global community can use to put an end to this crisis. Moreover, the bill emphasizes the key role that the United States must play within the international framework to make sure that crimes against humanity are no longer committed with impunity. “United States officials, including the President,” the bill reads, “should raise the issue of Darfur… with officials from other members of the United Nations Security Council and relevant countries, with the aim of passing a United Nations Security Council resolution and mobilizing maximum support for political, financial, and military efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur.”
Another important recommendation, put forth by Senators Corzine and Brownback, is that the UN Security Council ensure prompt prosecution of those responsible for the genocide “in a competent international court of justice.” This is an essential step in ending the atrocities in Darfur, one that can best be accomplished by referring the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is fully staffed and operational and has already begun analysis of the situation in Sudan. Moreover, it is capable of beginning investigations immediately without a huge expense or delay, unlike an alternative ad-hoc tribunal.
Members of Congress and President Bush should support Senator Corzine and Brownback’s recommendations. The Darfur Accountability Act is both comprehensive and insightful and will, as Senator Brownback puts it, “put real teeth and real action into place to stop the continued genocide.”
