Maxine Waters: “I rise to support H.R. 3127, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. This bill imposes sanctions on the government of…”

“I rise to support H.R. 3127, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. This bill imposes sanctions on the government of Sudan and blocks the assets and restricts travel for individuals who are responsible for acts of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of Sudan. More than 450,000 people have died since 2003 as a result of the genocide in Darfur. There are two-and-a-half million displaced people in camps in Darfur and another 350,000 in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. Almost 7,000 people are dying every month in Darfur. There can be no doubt that what is taking place in Darfur is genocide, and the government of Sudan is responsible. Crimes against humanity in Darfur have escalated in recent months. Over 500 women were raped over the summer in one camp alone. There have been renewed attacks and aerial bombardment, and twelve humanitarian workers were killed, two of them in the last 4 weeks. If the United Nations does not intervene in Darfur now, the death toll could rise dramatically in the next few months. Earlier this year, I visited the Darfur region with my good friend from California, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, and I was deeply disturbed by what I saw. As far as the eyes could see, there were crowds of displaced people who had been driven from their homes, living literally on the ground with little tarps just covering them. It is unconscionable that this should continue.”