Senators Scott, Risch, Cardin, Booker Introduce Resolution Recognizing Genocide in Sudan

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, joined Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa, in introducing a resolution recognizing the actions of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militia in the Darfur region of Sudan against non-Arab ethnic communities as acts of genocide.

“Civilians in Darfur are being raped and murdered in ruthless, ethnically targeted attacks by the RSF, and the Biden administration shamefully refuses to call these atrocities against an African minority what they are – genocide,” said Senator Scott.“We must stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and shine a light on these horrific acts of terror.” 

“For the last 10 months, the RSF have carried out unspeakable horrors in Sudan, including the elimination of non-Arab peoples in Darfur. Twenty years ago, the U.S. Congress was the first body to recognize the genocide in Darfur committed by the government of Sudan and its proxy Janjaweed militia. Tragically, history repeats itself and now we must do the same,” said Ranking Member Risch. “The United States must do all it can to bring an end to the conflict in Sudan and the genocide in Darfur. This includes holding the belligerents accountable and supporting the needs of the Sudanese people and their efforts to lead their country.” 

“The RSF and allied forces, under the leadership of Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, have committed heinous atrocities in Darfur, including those the Secretary of State has called crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing — some of which bear the hallmarks of genocide,” said Chairman Cardin. “This tragic repeat of history must not go unpunished. Hemedti and those who support his forces must be held accountable. I urge African leaders to act swiftly at this week’s African Union Summit to condemn these crimes and to come to an agreement on establishing a means to protect civilians from further atrocities. I continue to call on the Biden Administration to name a High Level Special Envoy to lead U.S. efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and to find a diplomatic solution going forward. The world must wake up to what is happening in Sudan, and work together urgently to put an end to this tragedy.” 

“The conditions that enabled genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region nearly 20 years ago were never fully resolved, and the unfathomable horrors that have recently been committed there by the RSF and its allied militias against the Masalit and other ethnic minorities require us to speak out, demand justice and accountability for victims, and begin working towards a sustainable peace that ensures Sudanese civilians are at the center of any reconciliation process,” said Senator Booker. “The United States must engage at the highest levels to end the war, prevent further atrocities and suffering, and demand greater respect for human rights and unfettered humanitarian access.” 

BACKGROUND 

Since April 2023, the RSF have engaged in ruthless conflict with the Sudan Armed Forces to win control of the country. During this time, the RSF has waged a campaign to eliminate the non-Arab peoples, including the Masalit, Fur, and Zaghawa ethnic communities, in Darfur. This effort is hauntingly similar to the genocide in Darfur that began in 2003. On December 6, 2023, Secretary of State Blinken determined the RSF and allied militia had engaged in crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, and that both the RSF and SAF had committed war crimes since the start of the conflict.

Senator Scott has served as Ranking Member of the Africa and Global Health Subcommittee since 2023. Since the beginning of the conflict, Senator Scott has:

• Called for an end to the brutal hostilities between Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces, led by the same men who committed genocide in Darfur 20 years prior;
• Pressed the State Department about the foreign policy failures leading up to the conflict and criticized the administration’s inability to swiftly evacuate American citizens and personnel from Khartoum; and
• Demanded that President Biden appoint an appropriate envoy to lead diplomatic efforts to help bring an end to the conflict.

Text of the resolution can be found here.