ENGEL HAILS PASSAGE OF SUDAN ACCOUNTABILITY AND DIVESTMENT ACT

Wednesday December 19, 2007 Eric Jacobstein
ENGEL HAILS PASSAGE OF SUDAN ACCOUNTABILITY AND DIVESTMENT ACT

Washington, D.C.--Rep. Eliot L. Engel, a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, voted Tuesday for the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (S. 2271) which will provide several tools to pressure the Sudanese government to once and for all put an end to the ongoing genocide in Darfur. The bill – which passed the Senate last week – passed the House of Representatives by a 411-0 vote and is now headed to the President’s desk. Rep. Engel co-sponsored the original Darfur Divestment bill (H.R. 180) which passed the House of Representatives in July.

Rep. Engel said, “I am proud to vote for this crucial bill. We have a moral responsibility to do everything we can to pressure the Sudanese government to once and for all end the genocide in Darfur. I want to be able to tell my children and grandchildren that when evil raised its ugly head, I did something.”

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur has left an estimated 2 million people displaced, more than 234,000 people forced into neighboring Chad, and an estimated 450,000 people killed.

The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act will:

* Permit interested states and localities to adopt measures for divesting from companies involved in four key Sudanese business sectors.
* Allow mutual fund and private pension fund managers to cut ties with companies involved in four key Sudanese business sectors, while maintaining that managers abide by fiduciary responsibilities and comply with all laws and regulations.
* Require federal government contractors to certify that they are not involved in business in four key sectors of Sudan’s economy.
* Require the Departments of State and the Treasury to report on the effectiveness of current Sudan sanctions.
* Provides conditions under which this bill will expire, including that Sudan abide by a UN Security Council Resolution, cease attacks on civilians, demilitarize the Janjaweed militia, allow unfettered humanitarian relief delivery, and grant refugees right of return.

Rep. Engel has consistently supported legislation to bring an end to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

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