January 27, 2005
“I saw the missing limbs, I looked in the eyes of the girls who had been raped, and the sheer force of the human suffering we witnessed has strengthened my conviction that we must take action to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur,” said Rep. Lee. “The government in Khartoum is responsible for this genocide, and they must be made to stop it.”
The trip was organized by Rep. Ed Royce, Chairman of the House International Relations Africa Subcommittee. Rep. Lee praised Royce for his leadership on the issue of the genocide, and thanked him for organizing the trip.
“In the face of this humanitarian catastrophe, Democrats and Republicans are united in working to end the violence,” said Rep. Lee.
The Congresswoman, who raised the issue of the Darfur genocide in a meeting with President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday, emphasized the need for the US to exert influence to get a UN resolution backed by the threat of sanctions, and she stressed the need to fully support the efforts of the African Union peacekeeping force.
“I told the President, we need a strong UN resolution, backed by sanctions, and we must provide the resources and logistical support necessary for the peacekeeping force to do its job effectively,” said Rep. Lee.
Also at the press conference were actor Don Cheadle and Representatives Jim McDermott (D-WA-07), Diane Watson (D-CA-33) and Betty McCollum (D-MN-04).
Cheadle, who has been nominated for an Oscar for his role in the critically acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda, was invited on the trip by Chairman Royce after the two discussed how the film, which details the genocide ten years ago in Rwanda, could contribute to efforts to stop the genocide currently being committed in Darfur.
The group returned Wednesday from a trip that included visits to refugee camps along the Chad-Sudan border and meetings with political leaders from Darfur, leaders of the African Union Observer force and humanitarian groups. The group also traveled to Algeria, where they met with President Bouteflika to discuss the situation in Darfur as well as counterterrorism initiatives between the United States and African countries with strong Arab constituencies.
Congresswoman Lee is also active in the growing movement to divest from companies that do business with the Sudanese government. In December, the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest state pension fund in the country, agreed to Congresswoman Lee’s request that they investigate whether they are invested in any companies doing business with the government in Khartoum, and encourage any such company to terminate that business.
“No one should have to worry that their retirement is being financed by genocide,” said Rep. Lee.
Divestment efforts are gaining momentum around the country. On Monday, the New Jersey state Assembly approved a measure to divest their state pension fund of companies doing business with the Sudanese government. Similar efforts are underway in Massachusetts.
Photo caption: Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) is joined by actor Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Ed Royce (D-CA) on a recent trip to refugee camps on the Chad/Sudan border. Next to Lee is Paul Rusesabagina, the proprietor of the real Hotel Rwanda who Cheadle plays in the film.
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Rep. Barbara Reports on Trip to Sudan And Conversation with Bush About the Genocide
(Washington, DC) — Representative Barbara Lee spoke at a press conference today about her recent trip to Africa, where she visited refugees displaced by the ongoing genocide in Darfur, and her meeting yesterday with President Bush where she discussed the genocide.“I saw the missing limbs, I looked in the eyes of the girls who had been raped, and the sheer force of the human suffering we witnessed has strengthened my conviction that we must take action to end the ongoing genocide in Darfur,” said Rep. Lee. “The government in Khartoum is responsible for this genocide, and they must be made to stop it.”
The trip was organized by Rep. Ed Royce, Chairman of the House International Relations Africa Subcommittee. Rep. Lee praised Royce for his leadership on the issue of the genocide, and thanked him for organizing the trip.
“In the face of this humanitarian catastrophe, Democrats and Republicans are united in working to end the violence,” said Rep. Lee.
The Congresswoman, who raised the issue of the Darfur genocide in a meeting with President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday, emphasized the need for the US to exert influence to get a UN resolution backed by the threat of sanctions, and she stressed the need to fully support the efforts of the African Union peacekeeping force.
“I told the President, we need a strong UN resolution, backed by sanctions, and we must provide the resources and logistical support necessary for the peacekeeping force to do its job effectively,” said Rep. Lee.
Also at the press conference were actor Don Cheadle and Representatives Jim McDermott (D-WA-07), Diane Watson (D-CA-33) and Betty McCollum (D-MN-04).
Cheadle, who has been nominated for an Oscar for his role in the critically acclaimed film Hotel Rwanda, was invited on the trip by Chairman Royce after the two discussed how the film, which details the genocide ten years ago in Rwanda, could contribute to efforts to stop the genocide currently being committed in Darfur.
The group returned Wednesday from a trip that included visits to refugee camps along the Chad-Sudan border and meetings with political leaders from Darfur, leaders of the African Union Observer force and humanitarian groups. The group also traveled to Algeria, where they met with President Bouteflika to discuss the situation in Darfur as well as counterterrorism initiatives between the United States and African countries with strong Arab constituencies.
Congresswoman Lee is also active in the growing movement to divest from companies that do business with the Sudanese government. In December, the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the largest state pension fund in the country, agreed to Congresswoman Lee’s request that they investigate whether they are invested in any companies doing business with the government in Khartoum, and encourage any such company to terminate that business.
“No one should have to worry that their retirement is being financed by genocide,” said Rep. Lee.
Divestment efforts are gaining momentum around the country. On Monday, the New Jersey state Assembly approved a measure to divest their state pension fund of companies doing business with the Sudanese government. Similar efforts are underway in Massachusetts.
Photo caption: Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) is joined by actor Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Ed Royce (D-CA) on a recent trip to refugee camps on the Chad/Sudan border. Next to Lee is Paul Rusesabagina, the proprietor of the real Hotel Rwanda who Cheadle plays in the film.
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