Thomas Daschle: “I share the sentiment expressed by the majority leader with regard to S. Con. Res. 99, regarding the Sudan. It is past…”

“I share the sentiment expressed by the majority leader with regard to S. Con. Res. 99, regarding the Sudan. It is past time that we were heard on this troubling situation. I commend Senators Feingold and Brownback as well for their leadership. Late last year, United Nations Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland called the developing situation in the Darfur region of Sudan, where two rebel groups have been locked in a battle with Sudanese government forces and government-backed militias since February 2003, "the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe." Mr. Egeland has seen a lot of disaster, and he does not use terms like catastrophe loosely. In a world increasingly torn asunder by ethnic and regional conflicts, calling Darfur the world's worst catastrophe is saying something. Unfortunately, it appears that Egeland has chosen the right word to describe this situation.”