Congress officially declares it "genocide"

Yesterday evening, the Congress of the United States unanimously approved the resolution that "declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide." This is encouraging news, especially since support was unanimous in both houses and across party lines. Never before has Congress formally identified a genocide as it was happening. While the Bush Administration is still dragging its feet on whether to use the g-word, hopefully this will push it in the right direction. At a minimum, this raises the moral stakes. If, six months or a year from now, we look back lamenting the genocide we failed to stop, there will be nowhere for Members of Congress to hide; they have told the world that it's genocide, and they know it's genocide, and they will have to answer for their action or inaction.

For the record, this is the salient text of the resolution:

(1) declares that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur, Sudan, are genocide;

(2) reminds the international community, including the United States Government, of their international legal obligations, as affirmed in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;

(3) urges the Bush Administration to call the atrocities being committed in Darfur, Sudan by its rightful name: `genocide';

(4) calls on the Bush Administration to lead an international effort to prevent genocide in Darfur, Sudan;

(5) urges the Bush Administration to seriously consider multilateral or even unilateral intervention to prevent genocide should the United Nations Security Council fail to act;

(6) demands that the Bush Administration impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and the freezing of assets of the National Congress and affiliated business and individuals directly responsible for the atrocities in Darfur, Sudan; and

(7) calls on USAID to establish a Darfur Resettlement, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Fund so that those driven off their land may return and begin to rebuild their communities.

The other good news is that yesterday the United States introduced a revised version of the sham U.N. Security Council resolution we had initially offered. The new resolution isn't perfect, but it is tougher than before, imposing an immediate arms ban and giving the government of Sudan 30 days to arrest and prosecute Janjaweed leaders and their associates. Of course, since those "associates" include government of Sudan, this resolution, while a baby step in the right direction, is still of questionable value.