July 26, 2007— Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) gave the following statement today, commemorating the third anniversary of the U.S. Resolution which officially recognized the Darfur genocide:

“Mr. Speaker, three years after the U.S. Congress passed a resolution officially recognizing the genocide in Darfur, the crisis continues today unabated.  We continue to hear credible reports of armed attacks on aid workers, food convoys, and civilians by the government-supported Janjaweed militia.  While assistance from UN troops is critical given the limited African Union resources, President Bashir has prevented such assistance from taking place.  Mr. Speaker, with 2.5 million people murdered in Southern Sudan, 450,000 killed in the Darfur region, 35,000 women and children enslaved, more than 270,000 refugees, and four million people internally displaced as a result of the policy of genocide, the regime of President Bashir must be held accountable. 

“As we commemorate the third anniversary of this resolution, let us not forget that this crisis is only part of a larger policy of the government led by Omar al Bashir that has been ongoing for over twenty years.  This policy of arabization and islamization began with the Bashir government’s war against the people of the South, which spread into Darfur, and is now moving into the Nuba Mountains. 

“Mr. Speaker, the Bashir government has shown blatant disregard for implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended their civil war against the South, providing only more evidence that they do not take peace seriously and cannot be negotiated with.  If the CPA fails, I have no doubt that the Bashir government will not only completely wipe out the people of Darfur, but every other part of Sudan that does not fit into their racist and inhuman agenda for the country.   Mr. Speaker, this corrupt and merciless regime has absolutely no regard for the intrinsic value of innocent human life, and it must be held to account if there is to be any hope for lasting peace in Sudan.  

“Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Government has taken the leading role in resolving the conflict in Sudan, from negotiating the end of the civil war to providing more humanitarian aid than any other country, and calling the international community to seriously address the genocide in Darfur.  However, without support from China which now has significant oil interests in Sudan, and from other UN and Arab League member states that refuse to hold Bashir responsible for his policies of genocide, the crisis cannot be resolved. 

“Today, Mr. Speaker, as we once again commemorate the resolution declaring the horrific atrocities continuing to occur in Sudan, may we resolve to do everything in our ability to hasten the day when the sunlight of freedom shines on every one of those precious human souls.  Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”