Darfur Activists Applaud Senate on Divestment Bill
Darfur activists commended the U.S. Senate for its unanimous passage of the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act which would authorize state and local governments to withdraw investments from companies that support the Khartoum government.
"We commend the Senate for pushing the United States towards fulfilling its responsibility to protect civilians in Darfur," said a joint statement released Thursday by Darfur activist groups that include the National Association of Evangelicals, Save Darfur Coalition, and the American Jewish World Service, among others.
"We specifically highlight the tireless efforts of Senators Dodd, Shelby, Reid and Durbin, who all worked to ensure the measure passed in a numerous, bipartisan fashion," added the groups.
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Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) had sponsored the Sudan divestment bill.
At nearly midnight on Wednesday, the Senate passed the divestment bill aimed at hurting Khartoum financially to pressure it to end the violence in Darfur. The Khartoum regime has been widely accused of masterminding the genocide in spite of its denial.
Since 2003, more than 2.5 million people have been displaced and some 200,000 killed from the conflict in Darfur. Khartoum is accused of unleashing Arab nomads called the janjaweed militia on Darfurians after rebels from the ethnic African tribes in the region rose up against the central government.
Under the Sudan divestment bill, state and local governments, as well as mutual fund and private pension managers, can cut ties with companies involved in four Sudanese business sectors, including its large oil industry.
The Sudanese government uses up to 70 percent of its oil revenues to provide arms and supplies to the janjaweed militia, according to the Save Darfur Coalition.
Since 2005, 22 states and over 50 universities have adopted Sudan divestment policies, reported the Darfur activist network.
However, the Bush administration may be an obstacle in the bill's passage as it argues that signing the bill would infringe on the president's constitutional power to establish and execute U.S. foreign policy.
The State Department made similar arguments, noting not only would the bill "authorize states to act in an area in which the federal government has chosen not to act" but also because it "would broadly authorize state and local divestitures in an area or field of foreign policy in which both Congress and the executive branch are extremely active," according to The Associated Press.
It remains unclear whether the administration will sign the bill into law.
The divestment bill now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives, where a vote is expected as early as next week. A similar House bill had already overwhelmingly passed in July by a 418-1 vote, according to AP
The Save Darfur Coalition includes over 180 faith-based, anti-genocide, and human rights groups that include World Evangelical Alliance, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Lutheran World Relief.
