Washington—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today issued a statement on the anniversary of the June 3rd massacre in Sudan:

“A year ago today, Sudanese security forces brutally attacked a peaceful pro-democracy sit-in, resulting in at least 100 deaths and horrific torture, forced disappearances, and mass rape. Despite the establishment of the transitional government last August, Sudan still needs to complete a thorough, transparent and independent investigation of this atrocity. Every victim deserves justice, not only for the June 3rd massacre, but for the full range of recent human rights abuses in Sudan, including the recent attacks on displaced persons in West Darfur involving state security forces.

“While I continue to support the progress the transitional government is making towards greater democracy, this progress cannot come at the expense of justice. As we have seen here in the United States, where state-sponsored violence is being perpetrated against largely peaceful protesters across the country, those in pursuit of democracy, human rights, and accountability cannot afford to be complacent.”