Sudan must continue to be held accountable

Today in Sudan a mass murderer celebrates. Last week, the U.S. government lifted economic sanctions on Sudan, allowing a president wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) access to international banks and markets; something he’s wanted for 20 years.

Since Labor Day, the Government of Sudan has violated Sudan’s Five Track Plan at least eleven times, including the killing of innocent civilians at the Kalma Refugee Camp in Darfur by Sudanese Security Forces. But why does that matter and what implications does it have for the United States? More than you may think.

{mosads}Our country has had economic sanctions in place on the government of Sudan for 20 years for a reason. The president of Sudan has committed genocide and harbored terrorists, including Osama bin Laden. Yet the White House announced that they would be lifting economic sanctions on Sudan because of the government’s “sustained positive actions to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, improve humanitarian access throughout Sudan, and maintain cooperation with the United States on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism.”

Our government is now making it easier for a known war criminal to do business with our nation and the world. In 2008, the ICC in the Hague prosecuted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and issued warrants for his arrest in 2009 and 2010. He is responsible for the genocide of over 300,000 Sudanese citizens in Darfur.

Genocide is an uncomfortable word for many. It was first defined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944 as “a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.” I’ve been to Darfur. I’ve seen the destruction that one leader can inflict on a group of people. It’s frightening and yet still today we hear of genocide happening to Christians and Yazidis in Iraq.

Last week I heard from a Sudanese citizen, pleading for our nation to do the right thing and stand up for the innocent people being slaughtered by their own government. She wrote, “We thought that the new Administration of the United States would help those who have been marginalized in the Nuba Mountain Region, Blue Nile, Darfur and other areas who are victims of the prolonged war from the Islamic fascist regime of the Government of Sudan. This regime is preparing to resume the war during the upcoming dry season. Yet our people are suffering, forced to hide in caves due to bombs. We have no education, no food, no healthcare.”

In light of these reports, which I hear daily, I am disappointed that a prominent law firm in Washington is representing the government of Sudan and has successfully lobbied the administration to drop existing economic sanctions. Perhaps these accounts from the ground aren’t compelling enough, but as a nation we should be considering the national security implications at hand.

Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on Sept. 11, more still were killed in the attacks on the USS Cole and our embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. This is important to note because Sudan personally protected the perpetrator of these attacks, bin Laden, was implicated in these bombings, and set up training camps for terrorists. Additionally, Sudan and China are strengthening their relationship. This is troubling for our nation and an alliance that we should not ignore.

As Americans, one of our core values is the equality and freedom of all people. We may disagree on how to achieve these goals throughout the world, but we must be united in standing up to evil. Moving forward, I would urge the administration to keep the Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan. We must send our best diplomatic leaders to the region to put forward strong policies, hold Bashir accountable and call out human rights abuses as they happen.

I would also encourage Congress to consider Congressional Sanctions and urge the support of a bipartisan effort to shine a light on the atrocities being committed by this genocidal regime, who acts in opposition of our national security interests.

President Reagan once said the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are a covenant, not only with the people of Philadelphia in 1776 and 1787, but with the people of the world. One thing we should all agree on in Washington is the importance of stepping up for those who have no voice. Let us increase the pressure on Sudan and be the voice for the hundreds of thousands fearing for their lives.

Wolf served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 2015. He is Distinguished Senior Fellow at the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative.