Hultgren, Rooney organize bipartisan plea to punish Sudanese regime

As the Trump administration evaluates a framework for future bilateral relations with Sudan, U.S. Reps. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Thomas Rooney (R-FL) seek to hold the African nation accountable for its continuing human rights abuses and corruption.

In a bipartisan letter sent to U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan on March 28, the lawmakers expressed grave concerns with instituting any United States government policy that would intend to further normalize relations with a corrupt Sudanese regime that regularly commits human rights violations, supports extremists and represses religious minorities.

“Since the United States lifted economic sanctions on Sudan last year, the Sudanese government has continued to bulldoze churches, imprison religious minorities and restrict the flow of humanitarian aid to conflict areas,” the lawmakers wrote in their bipartisan letter, which included the signatures of 55 other members of Congress, including U.S. Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA).

Rep. Hultgren, co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, summarized the letter by saying that it urged the State Department “to tie economic incentives for Sudan to concrete and measurable human rights benchmarks that will help to stabilize the region and strengthen U.S. national security interests.”

A model of such benchmarks could be developed by the State Department using the provisions outlining corruption and human rights abuse in Executive Order 13818 related to the Global Magnitsky Act, suggested the lawmakers in their letter, particularly “with regard to targeting individuals and entities engaged in continuing corruption and human rights abuses in Sudan.”

“Creating meaningful and lasting change in Sudan will not happen by the regime simply fulfilling the minimum requirements outlined in the initial five-track engagement plan,” Rep. Rooney said. “I look forward to working with the State Department to ensure any further normalizing of relations is contingent on respecting the human rights and religious freedoms of the Sudanese people.”

The members noted that while the Sudanese regime has “provided some assistance related to U.S. counter-terrorism efforts,” that assistance should be evaluated in the context of the regime’s historical support of terrorists and its “current tolerance of extremist groups and clerics that promote hate, both internationally and against religious minorities in Sudan.”

Sudanese activists for many years have risked their lives advocating for government-wide changes, according to the letter. “U.S. policy should support the democratic aspirations of these courageous Sudanese and refuse to provide further relief from sanctions and a path to normalized relations unless core issues like religious freedom and ending the repression of its citizenry are addressed,” wrote the lawmakers.

“Sudan’s president and other high officials have been internationally indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” said Rep. McGovern. “The U.S. must not ignore the continued suffering under Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s brutal rule.”