H.Res. 689 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 689 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 25, 2014 Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Engel, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Capuano, and Ms. Bass) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Supporting an end to the ethnic and politically fueled violence in South Sudan and the successful implementation of a transitional government. Whereas the United States played a key role in brokering the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the civil war of nearly 40 years, and resulted in South Sudan’s decision by referendum in January 2011 to secede from Sudan; Whereas emerging as the world’s newest country on July 9, 2011, South Sudan possessed considerable energy resources but had almost no infrastructure or civilian governmental institutions and was challenged by 300,000 internally displaced people, half its population struggling below the poverty line, and a GDP per capita of $1,000, according to the World Bank; Whereas, on December 15, 2013, growing political tensions between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir of the Dinka ethnic group and Vice President Riek Machar of the Nuer ethnic group erupted in violence in the capital of Juba and spread to other parts of the country, particularly the eastern state of Jonglei and the oil-producing states of Unity and Upper Nile; Whereas what began as a political power struggle became a widespread ethnic battle that tore apart the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement as well as the cabinet and threatened ethnic violence across the country; Whereas President Kiir and former Vice President Machar have signed three separate peace agreements, including one on June 10, 2014, to form a transitional government within 60 days; Whereas according to the United Nations, since mid-December 2013, thousands of South Sudanese have been killed including those targeted for their ethnicity, 1,500,000 people have been displaced, 7,000,000 people risk hunger and disease, approximately 4,000,000 people face severe food insecurity, and 50,000 children could die from malnutrition if aid agencies’ assistance and access does not increase; Whereas in December 2013, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) dispatched a ministerial delegation, consisting of Ministers and high level officials from Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda and the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, to Juba to help diffuse the tension in South Sudan and mediate a peaceful political settlement, and in early June 2014, initiated peace talks in Addis Ababa that included civil society organizations, religious groups, political parties, and formerly detained political leaders in a multi-stakeholders symposium; Whereas the United States has been the largest bilateral foreign aid donor to South Sudan, obligating more than $268,000,000 in humanitarian assistance in fiscal year 2013 and $394,000,000 in fiscal year 2014 to date; and Whereas Ambassador Susan Page re-declared a disaster in South Sudan in October 2013, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has stated that insecurity, landmines, and limited transportation and communication infrastructure have restricted humanitarian activities across South Sudan, hindering the delivery of critical assistance to populations in need: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) expresses its strong support for the people of South Sudan and the region; (2) condemns the targeted attacks on civilians, often along ethnic lines and in hospital or school settings, and on civilian humanitarian assistance workers, and insists that all armed groups cease all violence against civilians in compliance with international law; (3) stresses the need for unfettered access throughout South Sudan for humanitarian aid; (4) urges the President to work with the international community to provide technical support to the African Union Commission of Inquiry into grave human rights abuses and to consider the creation of a mixed or hybrid tribunal to ensure those responsible for civilian attacks and grave human rights abuses are held accountable; (5) emphasizes the need for the Government of South Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition to implement in good faith the cessation of hostilities agreement signed January 23, 2014; (6) encourages the Government of South Sudan to implement in good faith the agreement from June 10, 2014, to create a transitional government within 60 days and engage in meaningful dialogue with rebel forces, women, and civil society representatives; (7) urges the President to sustain high-level engagement and apply continued pressure on both the Government of South Sudan and rebel forces; and (8) strongly supports efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to mediate the conflict and monitor violations of the cessation of hostilities agreement and leverage their influence to find a sustainable resolution to the current conflict.