US Lawmakers Urge Sudan to Give More Aid to Darfur Refugees

By Dan Robinson

Two U.S. lawmakers just returned from Sudan say the situation in the western Darfur region remains¹ intolerable, and are urging the government in Khartoum to take further actions to alleviate² suffering there.

Republican Congressman³ Jim Kolbe says each day that goes by increases the risk for the estimated 1.2 million internally-displaced people in Darfur.

Without an expanded African peacekeeping force, he says, instability and insecurity will force even more out of their homes, with the potential of creating a permanent refugee population.

"Without security, IDPs [Internally Displaced People] will not feel safe enough to return home," said Congressman Kolbe. "Without security, the internally displaced persons will not be able to return to their fields to plant in time for next year's harvest. Without security, the international community will find itself supporting these displaced persons for months, perhaps even years to come. Most importantly, without security the people of Darfur will live in continuous fear of their lives."

Congressman Kolbe was instrumental in getting Congress to approve $95 million in additional funds to address the situation in Darfur, part of $260 million committed by the United States so far.

He and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. were told by Sudanese government officials, including the country's vice⁴ president, that Khartoum intends to comply with the most recent United Nations resolution on Darfur.

However, both lawmakers underscore what they say is the biggest need at present, an expanded presence by African Union troops.

"It is a necessary prerequisite⁵ for Darfurians to voluntarily return home," said Mr. Jackson. "This can initially⁶ be accomplished⁷ by a broadened African Union presence. I support at least 4,000 African Union troops to do the job, with a broadened mandate⁸ from the U.N. that not only provides security for the monitors, but also provides security in the camps."

Mr. Jackson calls the presence of Sudanese government police forces in refugee camps unacceptable, adding that displaced people want only international troops in charge of security in areas outside camps.

The U.S. government has formally described the violence in Darfur, involving government-supported Arab militia⁹ attacks on non-Muslim Africans, as genocide.

At Wednesday's news conference, Congressman Jackson spoke¹⁰ to the issue of genocide.

"Did we conclude, after being on the ground and talking with the Darfurian people themselves that genocide is being committed against them," he said. "Yes, and that is why in our judgment¹¹ for the first time ever, the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide should invoke¹² against the government of Sudan and be invoked¹³ immediately. We do not need to repeat what happened during World War II, or what happened as recently as Rwanda. We did promise, never again."

In his remarks Wednesday, Congressman Kolbe said an expanded international force for Darfur would likely involve a need for additional funds, something he says Congress should consider.

He says there are indications assistance to Darfur is now flowing better, and the government of Sudan should be commended for cooperation it has given in this regard.

注释:
intolerable 无法忍受的
alleviate 减轻
suffering 受难
permanent 持久的
continuous 持续的
Sudanese 苏丹的
underscore 强调
Rwanda [国名]卢旺达(非洲国家)

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 prerequisite   

n.先决条件；adj.作为前提的，必备的

参考例句：

• Stability and unity are a prerequisite to the four modernizations.安定团结是实现四个现代化的前提。
• It is a prerequisite of entry to the profession that you pass the exams.做这一行的先决条件是要通过了有关的考试。

6 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

7 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

8 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

9 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

12 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

13 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》