U.S. House Steps Up Pressure with Sudan Divestment Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives passed almost unanimously a bill Tuesday that would authorize and protect states that divest from companies that support the Sudanese government – which is accused of fueling the genocide in Darfur.
In a landslide vote, H.R. 180 – the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 – passed 418 to 1. The bill was sponsored by Rep Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and co-sponsored by 130 members of the House of Representatives.
"No one should have to worry that they are supporting genocide, whether it's through their tax dollars or their pension fund," said Lee, according to the Inside Bay Area newspaper.
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"This bill is designed to wash the blood off of our federal contracts, protect the rights of states to divest their own public pension funds from companies doing business in Sudan and increase the financial pressure on Khartoum to end the genocide in Darfur."
Since 2003, more than 2.5 million people have been displaced and some 200,000 people killed due to violence instigated by janjaweed militias. Khartoum is widely accused by both Darfurians and the international community of unleashing the janjaweed on Darfurians after rebels from ethnic African tribes in the region rose up against the central government.
Khartoum, however, has repeatedly denied involvement in the atrocious violence in Darfur.
Even prior to the House bill, the United States had existing bans prohibiting U.S. companies from conducting business operations in Sudan. Yet often times private institutions and individuals had indirectly fueled the genocide by investing in foreign companies associated with Sudan.
The Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act would establish a federal list compiled by the U.S. Treasury Department of foreign companies whose business in Sudan directly or indirectly supports the Darfur genocide to better inform Americans regarding their investments.
Furthermore, the bill forbids the U.S. federal government from entering into or renewing contracts with companies on the list and authorizes state and local government to do the same. H.R. 180 also protects the rights of state and local governments and asset managers to divest without fear of lawsuits.
It is hoped that divestment will be an effective strategy against the Darfur genocide since the Sudanese government depends heavily on foreign investment to fund its military.
The U.S. House increased pressure on Sudan the same day that the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved the creation of a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force to be sent to Darfur Tuesday.
The Sudanese government has reluctantly agreed to the hybrid U.N.-African Union body which is scheduled to be nearly fully deployed by the end of the year.
The United States, however, did not sponsor the resolution saying that it wanted a faster transition of authority to the new hybrid force from the current African Union force on the ground, and wanted part of the resolution on possible sanctions to be clearer, according to The New York Sun.
"Three years ago, the United States Congress made an unprecedented announcement acknowledging the atrocities in Darfur as genocide," said Genocide Intervention Network executive director Mark Hanis, in a statement.
"Today, the House of Representative took powerful action to see that this genocide comes to and end. It's now up to the Senate and President Bush to follow the House's lead," he said.
Christian leaders and churches across the nation have been advocating for stronger U.S. actions to pressure Sudan to halt the bloodshed in Darfur.
In May, the Rev. Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the World Evangelical Alliance, applauded the U.S. decision to impose a set of U.S. economic sanction but urged stronger immediate action to be taken.
Tunnicliffe has spoken at several Save Darfur rallies which are attended by thousands of human rights activists and concerned citizens.
The National Association of Evangelicals – the nation's largest evangelical organization with about 30 million members – has also called on Christians and churches to pray and promote awareness on the Darfur situation
Other prominent Christian leaders who have spoken out against the Darfur genocide include Richard Land, the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; the Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals; Jim Wallis, head of the nation's largest progressive Christian network Sojourners/Call to Renewal; and the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Jr., president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
Nineteen states have adopted divestment policies from Sudan and 18 other states have initiated Sudan divestment campaigns, according to the Genocide Intervention network. Eight countries, meanwhile, have initiated Sudan divestment campaigns and five international companies have ceased operations in Sudan or publicly announced their plans to do so. Moreover, 54 universities have adopted divestment policies.
