HR22

WHEREAS, on September 1, 1969, while receiving medical treatment in Turkey, King Sidi Muhammad Idris al-Mahdi al-Senussi (Idris I) of Libya was deposed by military coup forces led by Captain Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi; and

WHEREAS, the Crown Prince, Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi became King following the coup, but was likewise deposed and placed under house arrest on September 1, 1969; and

WHEREAS, the removal of both the King and Crown Prince resulted in the dissolution of the monarchy and the foundation of the Al-Jamāhīriyyah al-`Arabiyyah al-Lībiyyah aš-Ša`biyyah al-Ištirākiyyah al-`Udhmā, with Colonel Gaddafi installed as the de facto leader; and

WHEREAS, the installation of Colonel Gaddafi as the de facto leader of Libya by coup resulted in radical ideologies, including among others, a strong aspiration to create an Arab belt across the Sahel, causing political tensions between Sudan, Libya, and Chad; and

WHEREAS, President Gadaffi established the Islamic Legion, an insurgency force comprised of Libyan-trained mercenaries recruited from across Northern and Western Africa, to facilitate both the destabilization of legitimate governments and the proliferation of Libyan power across Africa; and

WHEREAS, as a result of the formation of the Islamic Legion, Darfur became a focal point for insurgency and counter-insurgency, leading to great strife and widespread conflict throughout the 1980s; and

WHEREAS, many villages, homes, livestock, and human lives were destroyed as a result of the conflict; and

WHEREAS, on July 21, 2001, a group of indigenous Zaghawa and Fur peoples met in Abu Gamra in North Darfur and swore oaths on the Qu'ran to work together to defend against government-sponsored attacks on their villages, forming a unified rebel movement, and;

WHEREAS, at 5:30 pm on April 25, 2003, a highly organized rebel strike force, composed of Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice Equality Movement (JEM) forces in 33 Toyota Land Cruisers attacked a Sudanese Air Force installation in al-Fashir, leading to the destruction of An-24 "Coke" tactical bombers and Mi-24 "Hind" assault helicopters, the death of 75 Sudanese soldiers, pilots, and technicians, and the capture of 32 individuals, including the installation commander; and

WHEREAS, the al-Fashir raid resulted in a massive escalation of hostilities, leading to the Sudanese government waging total war with its conventional forces, as well as making use of the Janjaweed ("devils on horseback"), a paramilitary force which utilized rape, mutilation, torture, and other tactics of brutality; and

WHEREAS, the Janjaweed were instrumental in devastating not only the rebel forces, but particularly non-Arab populations, causing the displacement of millions from their homes and the death of thousands; and

WHEREAS, in 2004, Chad brokered negotiations in N'Djamena, leading to the April 8 Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement between the Sudanese Government, JEM, and SLM, but Janjaweed and rebel attacks have continued since the ceasefire; and

WHEREAS, continued strife and increasing escalation led to the United Nations approving a resolution to send a peacekeeping force to the region on August 31, 2006, but the deployment plan was indefinitely suspended due to Sudanese opposition; and

WHEREAS, peacekeeping in Sudan and protection of foreign aid workers is currently the responsibility of the African Union (AU) which is ill-equipped and under-funded; and

WHEREAS, the Sudanese Armed Forces is suspected of continuing to launch deliberate and unprovoked attacks on civilians; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that to date, some 400,000 persons have lost their lives and two million persons have been displaced or driven from their homes by the Darfur conflict; and

WHEREAS, the condition in Sudan is expected to worsen, now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that in the interest of humankind, the United Nations, European Union, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization are urged to pursue policies to ending the ongoing conflict in Darfur; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the State of Hawaii extends its deepest condolences to those who have lost their lives in the ongoing strife; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to:

(1) the Governor of the State of Hawaii;

(2) the President of the United States of America;

(3) the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives;

(4) the President pro tempore of the United States Senate;

(5) the Secretary-General of the United Nations;

(6) the President of the European Commission; and

(7) the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

UN/EU/NATO Alliance; Darfur Intervention Policies

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	22
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII