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Week Ending April 13, 2006

S.RES.76 A resolution calling on the United States Government and the international community to promptly develop, fund, and implement a comprehensive regional strategy in Africa to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian operations, contain and reduce violence, and contribute to conditions for sustainable peace in eastern Chad, and Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan.

<< Click flag for map and country data, Chad

<< Click flag for map and country data, Central African Republic

<< Click flag for map and country data, Sudan

Recognizing that armed forces are acting with impunity in the Sudan, Chad and Central African Republic countries of Africa the preamble concludes that insecurity and instability in the region is the result. What once was an ethic cleansing operation by the Sudan Government with displacement of Sudanese victims to Chad now there are militias crossing the border out of Sudan to attack and ravish in Chad.

Humanitarian aid has been available but militias have blocked delivery of most. The level of refugees in the Sudan area alone is above 300 million. 230,000 from Darfur. With the sudden increase in refugees into Chad already stressed refugee assistance is further put upon, security is stretched and materials are in limited supply.

The Senate expresses its concern for the displaced and victimized and calls on Chad and Sudan to reaffirm their commitment to an earlier peace agreement and refrain from violating those agreements. Other recommendations are made of the UN and the US President to intervene in the matter.

Sponsor:  Senator Russell D. Feingold (D-WI)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent April 11, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost

Earmark Certification:   Not applicable to this Resolution.

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Whereas armed groups have been moving freely between Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic, committing murder and engaging in banditry, forced recruitment of soldiers, and gender-based violence;

Whereas these and other crimes are contributing to insecurity and instability throughout the region, exacerbating the humanitarian crises in these countries and obstructing efforts to end violence in the Darfur region of Sudan and adjacent areas;

Whereas on January 5, 2007, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that cross-border attacks by alleged Arab militias from Sudan and related intercommunal ethnic hostilities in eastern Chad had resulted in the displacement of an estimated 20,000 people from Chad during the previous 2 weeks and posed a direct threat to camps housing refugees from Sudan;

Whereas these new internally displaced Chadians have strained the resources of 12 UNHCR-run camps in eastern Chad that are already serving more than 100,000 internally displaced Chadians and 230,000 refugees from Darfur and providing humanitarian support and protection to more than 46,000 refugees from the Central African Republic in southern Chad;

Whereas Chadian gendarmes responsible for providing security in and around the 12 UNHCR-run camps in eastern Chad are too few in number, too poorly equipped, and too besieged by Chadian rebel actions to carry out critical protection efforts sufficiently;

Whereas on January 16, 2007, the United Nations' Humanitarian Coordinator for the Central African Republic reported that waves of violence across the north have left more than 1,000,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 150,000 who are internally displaced, while some 80,000 have fled to neighboring Chad or Cameroon;

Whereas in a Presidential Statement issued on January 16, 2007 (S/PRST/2007/2), the United Nations Security Council reiterated its `concern about the continuing instability along the borders between the Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic and about the threat which this poses to the safety of the civilian population and the conduct of humanitarian operations' and requested `that the Secretary-General deploy as soon as possible an advance mission to Chad and the Central African Republic, in consultation with their Governments';

Whereas the Presidential Statement acknowledged `the position taken by the Central African and Chadian authorities in favor in principle of such a presence and looks forward to their continued engagement in preparing for it';

Whereas a December 22, 2006, report of the United Nations Secretary-General (S/2006/1019) expressed a need to address the rapidly deteriorating security situation of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic and to protect civilians in the border areas of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic and recommended a robust mission that `would, among other tasks: facilitate the political process; protect civilians; monitor the human rights situation; and strengthen the local judicial, police and correctional system';

Whereas the December 22, 2006, report went on to recommend that the force also be mandated and equipped to deter attacks by armed groups and react preemptively to protect civilians, including refugees and internally displaced persons, with rapid reaction capabilities;

Whereas on August 30, 2006, the United Nations Security Council passed Security Council Resolution 1706 (2006), authorizing a multidimensional presence consisting of political, humanitarian, military and civilian police liaison officers in key locations in Chad, including in the internally displaced persons and refugee camps and, if necessary, in the Central African Republic;

Whereas continuing hostilities will undermine efforts to bring security to the Darfur region of Sudan, dangerously destabilize volatile political and humanitarian situations in Chad and the Central African Republic, and potentially disrupt progress towards peace in southern Sudan;

Whereas a December 2006 United Nations assessment mission report outlined possibilities for a mission in Chad, including a force large enough to monitor the border, deter attacks, and provide civilian protection;

Whereas the United Nations Security Council has requested proposals for a United Nations force in Chad and the Central African Republic to help protect and provide humanitarian assistance to tens of thousands of civilians affected by the conflict that began in Darfur; and

Whereas a technical assessment mission was dispatched in January 2007 toward that end: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) expresses concern for the more than 1,000,000 citizens of Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic who have been adversely affected by this interrelated violence and instability;

(2) calls upon the Governments of Chad and Sudan--

(A) to reaffirm their commitment to the Tripoli Declaration of February 8, 2006, and the N'Djamena Agreement of July 26, 2006;

(B) to refrain from any actions that violate these agreements; and

(C) to cease all logistical, financial, and military support to each others' insurgent groups;

(3) urges the Government of Chad to improve accountability and transparency as well as the provision of basic services to redeem the legitimacy of the Government in the eyes of its citizens;

(4) urges the Government of Chad to take action to increase political participation and to strengthen democratic institutions to ensure that all segments of society in Chad can participate in and benefit from a transparent, open, and capable government;

(5) urges the Government of Chad, the Government of Sudan, and other key regional and international stakeholders to commit to another round of inclusive political negotiations that can bring lasting peace and stability to the region;

(6) calls upon the President to advocate for the appointment of a senior United Nations official to direct and coordinate all international humanitarian activities on both sides of Sudan's western border and expand the response to emergency needs related to the political and humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic;

(7) urges the President to utilize the resources and leverage at the President's disposal to press for the immediate deployment of an advance mission to eastern Chad to lay the groundwork for a robust multilateral and multidimensional presence;

(8) urges the United Nations Security Council to authorize a multilateral and multidimensional peacekeeping force to eastern Chad with the mandate and means--

(A) to ensure effective protection of civilians, particularly refugees and internally displaced persons, including by preempting, preventing, and deterring attacks on civilians;

(B) to organize regular patrols along the western border of Sudan and implement practical protection measures for asylum seekers;

(C) to maintain the civilian and humanitarian nature of the internally displaced persons and refugee camps in Chad and facilitate the efforts of aid workers;

(D) to deter, monitor, investigate, and report attacks on humanitarian personnel and assets;

(E) to provide around the clock physical security in the camps and surrounding areas, including organized patrols to guarantee freedom of movement to all civilians and humanitarian workers;

(F) to coordinate and share information with humanitarian organizations, actively preserve unhindered humanitarian access to all displaced persons, and ensure the safety of all humanitarian workers in accordance with international humanitarian law;

(G) to collect and report evidence of human rights violations and perpetrators to the United Nations on a timely and regular basis; and

(H) to support domestic and multilateral initiatives to strengthen local judicial, police, and correctional systems in Chad; and

(9) urges the President and the international community to coordinate efforts to make available sufficient resources in support of this multilateral and multidimensional mission, as well as adequate assistance to meet the continuing humanitarian and security needs of the individuals and areas most affected by this conflict.

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