Russ Feingold: “I rise to comment on the ongoing crisis in Darfur, a region in western Sudan that has been the site of atrocities for…”

“I rise to comment on the ongoing crisis in Darfur, a region in western Sudan that has been the site of atrocities for months. A recent report from the International Crisis Group spells out the horrifying facts of the situation. The report indicates that 830,000 people have been displaced as a result of the conflict, and thousands have been killed. Government-supported militias have deliberately targeted civilians, sometimes focusing on unprotected villages with no apparent link to the rebels other than their ethnic profile. According to credible reports, militia atrocities have included indiscriminate killing and mutilation, rape on a massive scale, and the looting and destruction of food reserves and other property. Outright and indiscriminate government bombing has also been verifiably reported since the conflict began. We must ask ourselves two questions. First, what can be done to help the innocent men, women, and children caught up in this nightmare? The U.S. must work with the international community to signal our collective resolve and to insist that the Government of Sudan stop playing games with humanitarian access. Khartoum needs to feel the pressure, and all parties need to work urgently for a settlement. But we must also ask, what do these developments in Darfur tell us about the Government of Sudan? The reports from the region seem to confirm that the Government of Sudan has no qualms about backing attacks on innocent civilians.”