South Sudan: Chairman Royce Presses President Obama to Take Action in South
Sudan
26 April 2014
Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee,
<
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/sites/republicans.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
files/POTUS%2C%20S%20%20Sudan%20Sanctions.pdf> sent President Obama a letter
urging him to take immediate action on South Sudan and sanction the
high-profile individuals on both sides of the conflict who are responsible
for committing recent atrocities.
Four weeks ago the Administration issued an
<
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/03/executive-order-block
ing-property-certain-persons-respect-south-sudan> Executive Order granting
the U.S. the ability to sanction individuals in South Sudan who have
threatened the peace and security in South Sudan, or committed human rights
abuses. Chairman Royce
<
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/foreign-affairs-committee-con
vene-10-am-hearing-examine-turmoil-south-sudan-chairman> called for these
sanctions during a hearing he held in January, entitled "
<
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/hearing-south-sudan-s-broken-promis
e> South Sudan's Broken Promise?"
In the letter to President Obama, Chairman Royce wrote: "Your Executive
Order contains broad authority to sanction those involved in the conflict in
South Sudan. . It is clear that the rhetorical threat of sanctions has
failed to deter the committing of atrocities in South Sudan. Making the
determinations that are necessary to publicly sanction high-profile leaders
on both sides of the conflict will send a clear message that actions have
consequences. I see no reason to wait."
The signed letter to President Obama is available
<
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/sites/republicans.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
files/POTUS%2C%20S%20%20Sudan%20Sanctions.pdf> HERE.
The text of the letters follows:
Dear Mr. President:
I am deeply troubled and alarmed by the recent atrocities in South Sudan,
including attacks on vulnerable populations and United Nations personnel. I
urge you to take immediate action, pursuant to the Executive Order that you
issued on April 3rd, to sanction high-profile individuals on both sides of
the conflict who are responsible for committing and commissioning such
atrocities. It is greatly concerning that no one has been sanctioned under
this Executive Order in the four weeks since it was issued.
As you know, on April 15th and 16th , opposition forces conducted operations
in Bentiu state that systemically targeted innocent civilians based upon
their ethnic and religious affiliations. Women and children were among the
hundreds killed while seeking shelter in hospitals, churches, and mosques.
On April 17th, a heavily armed mob used rocket-propelled grenades to force
entry into the United Nations mission in Bor and open fire on the nearly
5,000 internally displaced people sheltering inside the base. At least 48
civilians were killed and dozens more were injured, including two U.N.
peacekeepers. These atrocities occurred within recent weeks. Sadly, it is
likely that other atrocities have occurred elsewhere in the country, but
have simply gone undocumented.
Additionally, reports indicate that opposition commanders have forced their
way into local radio stations to broadcast hate speech, encouraging their
followers to commit acts of violence and sexual assaults against members of
other communities. Such a development is particularly chilling as we mark
the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, in which such "hate radio"
fueled this massive killing spree.
Your Executive Order contains broad authority to sanction those involved in
the conflict in South Sudan. In addition, it explicitly states that any
individual determined to be, directly or indirectly, engaged in specific
actions including "attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or
locations where civilians are seeking refuge" and "attacks against United
Nations missions" are subject to sanctions. The Executive Order also
explicitly states that individuals determined to be engaged in commissioning
human rights abuses are subject to sanctions.
It is clear that the rhetorical threat of sanctions has failed to deter the
committing of atrocities in South Sudan. Making the determinations that are
necessary to publicly sanction high-profile leaders on both sides of the
conflict will send a clear message that actions have consequences. I see no
reason to wait.
The United States has long been a friend to the people of South Sudan and
played a leadership role in supporting the country's independence. We must
continue to support those who are working to build peace and stability by
sanctioning those who commit and commission atrocities in an attempt to tear
this young country apart.
Sincerely,
EDWARD R. ROYCE
Chairman
Received on Sat Apr 26 2014 - 18:31:39 EDT