DARFUR PEACE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT - PASSED

On April 5, 2006 the House passed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (H.R. 3127), a bill which imposes sanctions against individuals responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity; authorizes U.S. assistance, including calling for a NATO task force, to support the African Union’s mission in Sudan; and directs the U.S. to seek a resolution within the UN Security Council to authorize a UN mission to Sudan.

H.R. 3127, which passed the House overwhelmingly 416 – 3, does not include provisions included in previous legislation such as an authorization for the use of force or the implementation of a no fly zone over Darfur. Nevertheless, it represents an important step forward in the effort to stop the violence in Darfur.

The bill also differs in several ways from Darfur legislation that passed the Senate last fall. It includes, for example, conditions that the Government of Sudan must meet before the U.S. can raise sanctions and calls for the listing of the Janjaweed as a foreign terrorist organization. The Senate’s bill does not contain either of these provisions.

A conference committee will now meet to sort through differences between the House and the Senate bills.

Citizens for Global Solutions applauds the successful passing of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006. In today’s interdependent world, it is necessary for our government to take action against gross violators of human rights. While this may not be the best resolution to the problem, it is a step closer to ending the ongoing atrocities that continue to occur in Darfur.