Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chairman of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke today with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces.
Senator Coons reiterated his grave concern and that of his colleagues in Congress regarding the political crisis in Sudan and the ongoing crackdown by security forces on protesters that has left nearly 80 people dead since October. He reminded General Burhan of the strong bipartisan support for advancing legislation that would impose targeted sanctions on those undermining the democratic transition in Sudan and violating human rights if the military does not change course, a message that was underscored by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week on Sudan’s imperiled transition.
Senator Coons emphasized the importance of ending lethal violence against protestors and enforcing accountability for violations that have taken place, supporting the United Nations-led political consultations toward establishing a civilian democratic government, and facilitating the military’s exit from Sudanese politics. Senator Coons made clear that the national electoral process cannot be rushed and that major reforms are necessary to ensure elections are free, fair, inclusive, and credible.
Sudan is a country of more than 44 million people that sits at the crossroads of Africa and the Middle East. It is an important security partner for the United States in counterterrorism efforts. Following the ouster of 30-year dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the country drafted a new constitution and began a democratic transition with U.S. support, which was halted with a military coup on October 25, 2021. During last week’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Sudan, Senator Coons announced his nomination of several of Sudan’s grassroots nonviolent pro-democracy groups for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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