,i #aadth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bihi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #h1 #bjae ,mr4 ,rooney of ,florida 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,capuano1 ,mr4 ,mc,caul1 ,ms4 ,lee1 and ,mr4 ,fortenberry7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to encourage the warring parties of ,south ,sudan to resolve their conflict peacefully1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,south ,sudan ,peace ,promotion and ,accountability ,act of #bjae4 #b4 ,findings2 statement of congress 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in ,december #bjac1 tensions between political leaders sparked a new civil conflict in ,south ,sudan that has killed tens of thousands1 displaced an estimated two million people1 including over #ejj1jjj refugees1 and left #d4f million people--#dj percent of the population--facing the threat of extreme hunger and in need of immediate humanitarian assistance4 7#b7 ,since the ,united ,states helped broker the #bjje ,comprehensive ,peace ,agreement1 which ultimately set the framework for the #bjaa ,south ,sudan referendum in which the people of ,south ,sudan chose independence1 the ,united ,states has remained the leading donor to ,south ,sudan4 7#c7 ,the warring parties have repeatedly impeded and interfered with the delivery of humanitarian assistance and threatened aid workers1 showing little regard for the dire conditions facing the people of ,south ,sudan4 7#d7 ,the warring parties have often defied international humanitarian and human rights law1 committing acts of sexual violence1 recruiting and using children as soldiers1 and targeting and killing civilians based on their ethnicity or perceived allegiances1 among other atrocities4 7#e7 ,while representatives of the warring parties agreed in the ,january #ba1 #bjae1 ,arusha ,communique that they bear full responsibility for ,south ,sudan's crisis and that those individuals responsible for atrocities should be held accountable1 no party to the conflict has taken credible steps to hold any senior civilian or military leader to account1 and instead continue to commit atrocities with impunity4 7#f7 ,eight commitments and recommitments to cease hostilities have been broken1 and the most recent round of peace talks held in ,addis ,ababa1 ,ethiopia1 under the auspices of the ,intergovernmental ,authority on ,development 7,,igad7 from ,january #bjad through ,march #e1 #bjae1 failed to bring meaningful progress to end the war4 7#g7 ,the ,african ,union 7,,au7 has joined the ,intergovernmental ,authority on ,development 7,,igad7 in pursuing other options to bring peace in ,south ,sudan1 including discussion of targeted sanctions on individuals in ,south ,sudan who continue to undermine the peace process4 7#h7 ,regional actors and other external entities continue to undermine the peace process through various means1 including through the transfer of arms and other support to the warring parties1 and through the presence of foreign forces participating in the conflict4 7#i7 ,the proliferation of small arms in ,south ,sudan continues to fuel the killing of innocent civilians and is instrumental in undermining the peace process4 7#aj7 ,attempts to establish peace and stability in ,south ,sudan have not resulted in a comprehensive peace agreement1 including mediation supported by ,,igad and initiatives to address divisions within the ,sudan ,people's ,liberation ,movement 7,,splm7 by ,tanzania and ,south ,africa4 7#aa7 ,on ,march #c1 #bjae1 the ,united ,nations ,security ,council 7,,unsc7 adopted ,security ,council ,resolution #bbjf which condemned the flagrant violations of the various cessation of hostilities agreements1 underscored its willingness to impose targeted sanctions against those responsible for actions or policies that threatened ,south ,sudan's peace1 security1 or stability1 requested that the ,united ,nations ,secretary ,general form a panel of experts to identify responsible individuals or entities1 and indicated a willingness to consider an arms embargo in the future4 7#ab7 ,on ,april #c1 #bjad1 ,president ,obama signed ,executive ,order #acffd1 which allows for additional targeted sanctions and a visa ban against those individuals whose actions threaten the peace1 security or stability of ,south ,sudan1 obstruct the peace talks and processes1 undermine democratic institutions1 or commit human rights abuses4 ,the ,administration has already designated four individuals under this order1 two from the ,government of ,south ,sudan and two from the opposition4 ,canada and the ,european ,union have implemented similar regimes4 7#ac7 ,on ,may #bi1 #bjae1 the ,government of ,south ,sudan expelled the ,united ,nations ,humanitarian ,coordinator1 ,toby ,lanzer1 who was tasked with overseeing the vast humanitarian operation in ,south ,sudan4 7#ad7 ,the date ,july #i1 #bjae1 should signify and celebrate ,south ,sudan's independence and peaceful recovery from decades of war1 yet the violence against children in ,south ,sudan has reached a new level of brutality4 ,children are being aggressively recruited into armed groups on both sides of the conflict and forced to participate in a conflict not of their making4 ,the psychological and physical effects on these children must be recognized and addressed and this violence against the innocent must stop immediately4 7b7 ,statement of congress ,congress-- 7#a7 recognizes that there has been a dramatic failure of leadership in ,south ,sudan that has left ,south ,sudanese civilians in a protracted and unacceptable state of suffering1 and that the ,united ,states stands in solidarity with the people of ,south ,sudan as they call for peace2 7#b7 urges all parties involved in the conflict to immediately cease all violence and work towards a negotiated1 publicly transparent settlement developed through diplomacy and reconciliation1 and urges that this process be inclusive to ,south ,sudanese civil society1 including women and traditional leaders1 to bring about peace and stability in ,south ,sudan2 7#c7 stresses the need to adequately communicate to the ,south ,sudanese people the proposed process for the establishment of a transitional government to carry ,south ,sudan through the development of a fully inclusive national dialogue1 constitutional and internal government reform1 national peace and reconciliation efforts1 and eventually an inclusive1 credible process towards national elections2 7#d7 stresses the need for the ,administration to continue to promote freedoms of association and expression in ,south ,sudan1 and to support the growth of effective1 resilient1 and empowered civil society organizations1 particularly those organizations that are transparent1 representative1 and promote the active inclusion and participation of women and girls2 7#e7 expresses concern over the ,march #bc1 #bjae1 decision of the ,parliament of ,south ,sudan to extend by three years the terms of ,president ,kiir and other elected officials1 and urges the ,government of ,south ,sudan to ensure that this does not curtail the urgent need for a negotiated peace agreement with the opposition and a transitional government of national unity as had been committed to by both parties in ,,igad negotiations on ,may #i1 #bjad2 7#f7 welcomes the efforts by the ,administration to push for the public release of the full report by the ,,au ,commission of ,inquiry 7,co,i7 in ,south ,sudan1 and emphasizes the positive impact the release of this report1 and resulting prosecutions of those individuals determined responsible for conflict or human rights crimes1 would have for accountability1 justice1 and closure for the people of ,south ,sudan2 7#g7 calls on the ,united ,states ,permanent ,representative to the ,united ,nations to promote human rights monitoring carried out by ,united ,nations ,mission in ,south ,sudan 7,,unmiss7 and advocate for publicly releasing reports on the human rights situation in ,south ,sudan on a regular basis2 7#h7 approves of the ongoing efforts by the ,administration to use the necessary tools1 as outlined in ,security ,council ,resolution #bbjf1 to increase pressure on the warring parties to come to the negotiating table following the failure of the parties to meet the ,march #e1 #bjae1 ,,igad deadline in ,addis ,ababa1 ,ethiopia2 7#i7 supports the ongoing efforts by the ,united ,states ,permanent ,representative to the ,united ,nations to use the voice1 vote1 and influence of the ,united ,states at the ,united ,nations to work with regional countries and like-minded countries to fully implement ,security ,council ,resolution #bbjf2 7#aj7 applauds the ,united ,nations ,security ,council and the ,department of the ,treasury for imposing sanctions on individuals on both sides of the conflict in ,south ,sudan and supports the efforts of the ,department of the ,treasury and the ,department of ,state to identify candidates for designation under ,executive ,order #acffd2 7#aa7 urges the ,department of the ,treasury to prioritize investigative actions that uncover the illicit financial flows fueling the ongoing violence and contributing to the extended humanitarian suffering of the people caught in the conflict2 7#ab7 supports the establishment of a credible1 independent hybrid judicial court or investigation by the ,international ,criminal ,court or other credible judicial court and for all parties in ,south ,sudan to deliberate in a peaceful manner for transitional justice and a truth and reconciliation commission2 7#ac7 urges the ,administration to continue to offer and further expand support for resilience and development programming in parts of ,south ,sudan less affected by conflict or otherwise suited for such programming in order to preserve and expand where possible the fragile gains in health1 education1 agricultural productivity1 and economic development2 7#ad7 applauds the work of the ,united ,nations peacekeeping mission1 which by sheltering over #ajj1jjj people within its compounds has saved thousands of live1 as well as the continuous humanitarian and human rights work in the region from many national and international nongovernmental organizations 7,n,g,os71 civil society organizations1 faith-based groups1 and international organizations1 and calls on all parties to the conflict to respect and support the unfettered access of humanitarian organizations to provide aid to all civilian populations during humanitarian crises2 7#ae7 condemns the expulsion of ,toby ,lanzer1 the ,united ,nations ,humanitarian ,coordinator by the ,government of ,south ,sudan at a time when the humanitarian crisis continues to grow2 7#af7 urges all parties to respect the neutrality of ,,unmiss sites and expresses the need for the ,administration to work with the ,government of ,south ,sudan on its compliance with its ,status of ,forces ,agreement with ,,unmiss to ensure it is respecting1 supporting and protecting the work of ,,unmiss personnel as they endeavor to protect internally displaced people sheltering at ,,unmiss bases and those individuals outside these bases who are displaced by the ongoing fighting2 and 7#ag7 expresses the need for the ,administration to capitalize on opportunities to engage in dialogue at the highest levels with like-minded members of the international community to further promote positive engagement in ,south ,sudan to bring about a reform process that addresses the root causes of this conflict4 #c4 ,codification of sanctions 7a7 ,restriction ,the sanctions imposed on individuals identified in the ,federal ,register as of the date of the enactment of this ,act related to ,south ,sudan1 and all other such individuals so identified after such date1 specified in ,executive ,order ,no4 #acffd of ,april #c1 #bjad 7,blocking ,property of ,certain ,persons ,with ,respect to ,south ,sudan71 as in effect on the day before such date of enactment1 shall remain in effect until the ,president has certified to the appropriate congressional committees that such sanctions are no longer necessary4 7b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section may be construed to limit the authority of the ,president to impose additional sanctions pursuant to the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq471 relevant executive orders1 regulations1 or other provisions of law4 #d4 ,reporting and strategy 7a7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall transmit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate a report regarding the ,united ,states engagement with ,south ,sudan4 7#b7 ,contents ,the report required under paragraph 7#a7 may contain a classified annex and shall include the following3 7,a7 ,an update on the peace process and a description of the ,administration's direct support for diplomatic engagement1 including the ,united ,states efforts to mitigate challenges that arise within the negotiations1 a description of those challenges1 and the overall diplomatic strategy to end the conflict4 7,b7 ,an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the existing peace process and related regional activities impacting the process1 and a plan to strengthen that process or to develop complementary or alternative diplomatic efforts to achieve peace and foster stability in ,south ,sudan4 7,c7 ,an assessment of the impact of existing targeted sanctions on ,south ,sudan1 including those sanctions imposed under ,executive ,order ,no4 #acffd and subsequent actions by the ,administration and international community to expand targeted sanctions1 and the efforts made to date1 including an assessment of the proposed impact of and challenges associated with1 building an international consensus to enforce an arms embargo4 7,d7 ,the ,administration's current policy regarding the export1 sale1 distribution1 transfer1 lending1 or gift of defense articles or defense services 7as such terms are defined in section #dg of the ,arms ,export ,control ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bgid77 to the ,government of the ,republic of ,south ,sudan and those armed forces in opposition to the ,government of the ,republic of ,south ,sudan4 7,e7 ,a detailed description of the known sources of arms and related material dispatched to the warring parties since the onset of the conflict4 7,f7 ,a description of the efforts taken by the ,administration to support1 develop1 maintain1 or expand foreign assistance programming in parts of ,south ,sudan less affected by conflict or otherwise suited for such programming4 7,g7 ,an assessment of ,south ,sudan's domestic capacity to support a hybrid judicial court and the options for the establishment of such a court4 7b7 ,strategy 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij days after the date of transmission of the report required under subsection 7a71 the ,president shall transmit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate a strategy to guide future ,united ,states engagement with ,south ,sudan4 7#b7 ,content of strategy ,the strategy required under paragraph 7#a7 may contain a classified annex and shall include the following3 7,a7 ,a plan to help strengthen efforts by the ,united ,nations peacekeeping mission in concert with the regional and international diplomatic and donor community to protect ,south ,sudanese civilians affected by the conflict1 particularly women and children4 7,b7 ,a strategy to advance peace and reconciliation efforts in the ,south ,sudan and for supporting the rule of law in affected areas4 7,c7 ,an interagency framework plan to coordinate and review diplomatic1 development1 and military elements of ,united ,states policy1 including expended1 obligated1 and requested funding amounts contained in annual budget submissions to ,congress1 for ,south ,sudan and the region4 7,d7 ,a description of the ,administration's strategy to support documentation and investigation of instances of human rights abuses and corruption1 parties' financing of the conflict1 and to monitor and combat illicit financial flows fueling the ongoing violence1 and the resources necessary to adequately support these efforts4 7,e7 ,a description of ways the ,united ,states is working with the ,united ,nations to gather information on events taking place on the ground in ,south ,sudan that may be attributing to instability1 as well as information on those individuals of ,south ,sudan or non-native entities that are implicated in violations of international and human rights law1 and information regarding the root causes of the proliferation of weapons in ,south ,sudan1 and a plan for sharing information with the ,united ,nations ,panel of ,experts4 7,f7 ,a plan to assist in refugee and internally displaced persons' 7,i,d,ps7 voluntary return and reintegration into communities once they determine conditions are appropriate for return1 including efforts to provide support for children needing both psychological and physical rehabilitation4 7,g7 ,a plan to pursue high-level engagement with the regional and like-minded governments in order promote a better environment for resolution of the crisis1 to halt the flow of arms from all external sources1 and to support the creation1 implementation1 and enforcement of a ,united ,nations ,security ,council arms embargo and targeted individual sanctions on all parties to the conflict in ,south ,sudan4