Hoyer Calls on Arab League & World Community to Step Up Efforts to Stop Genocide in Darfur

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the House floor today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) demanded immediate collective action to end the genocide and urged his colleagues to support a resolution calling on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the genocide in Darfur and to step up efforts to stop it. The resolution, which passed 425-1 under suspension of the rules, was timed to coincide with the week-long "Global Days for Darfur" campaign calling attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and the continued failure of the international community to adequately respond. Earlier this month, in his first trip as Majority Leader, Cong. Hoyer led an official bipartisan Congressional delegation (CODEL) of 11 House members on a fact-finding mission to Sudan, with stops in Juba, North Darfur, and Khartoum.

In recognition of the campaign, Cong. Hoyer has launched a Sudan Webpage with information on the CODEL, a video message discussing the trip, photo albums from the CODEL's visits to Darfur, Juba, and Khartoum, and information about how to get involved in the campaign to end the Darfur genocide.Click here to visit the Majority Leader's Sudan Webpage

"The genocide in Darfur ranks among the very worst humanitarian offenses inflicted upon innocent populations in modern history. The international community must not turn a blind eye to the suffering of innocents - as has happened far too often throughout human history – and this time, we must prove that we mean it," stated Cong. Hoyer. "Our resolution today calls on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the genocide in Darfur; to support and accept United Nations peacekeepers as the best option to enforce a cease-fire, protect civilians, and ensure access for humanitarian aid workers; and to work with the international community to bring about a lasting peace in Darfur."

While in Sudan, Hoyer's CODEL met with peacekeeping forces and officials of the Sudanese government, received briefings by non-governmental organizations carrying out humanitarian work, and visited the El Salaam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in El Fasher, North Darfur. After leaving Sudan, the CODEL met with Egyptian President Mubarak and specifically urged Egypt to play a leading role in ending the crisis in Darfur. According to reports, President Mubarak followed up on a pledge he made to the delegation to reach out to Sudanese President Bashir in support of humanitarian access in Darfur and a more robust peacekeeping force in Darfur. Last week, the Sudanese government announced it would drop its objections to the second phase in a three-step program to establish a robust United Nations-African Union "hybrid" peacekeeping force.

"I chose to go to Sudan in my first trip as Majority Leader because I felt it was important to see first hand the continuing humanitarian crisis in Darfur and explore possible responses to the crisis by the United States and the international community," stated Cong. Hoyer. "The international community's plaintive cry ‘never again' requires real, collective action in Darfur today. It is incumbent to act urgently to put pressure on the Sudanese government to follow through until Sudan has fully complied with the deployment of a peacekeeping force that can adequately protect the people of Darfur."

Recently, the United Nations reported that civilian killings in Darfur remain widespread and unabated and large-scale attacks, rape and torture are commonplace. Since 2003, more than 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur and an estimated 2.5 million have been displaced. More than three million other Darfurians depend today on international aid for their survival.

"Today, the question we must ask ourselves as Americans and as human beings is this – how will we respond? I submit that we - and by we, I mean the international community - cannot and must not turn a blind eye to the atrocities in Sudan and the suffering of millions Darfurians," stated Hoyer. "The world community owes it to the suffering people of Darfur – including millions of innocent children – not to rest until the atrocities in Darfur have been brought to a decisive end."

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