Darfur Makes Sudan's Omar al-Bashir Barack Obama's Biggest African Foe
William J. Dobson is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Although the administration has been almost silent on Darfur, what noises are being heard are not encouraging. Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, the president's special envoy to Sudan, has reportedly floated the idea of easing sanctions on Sudan and removing it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. It is hard to fathom what Khartoum has done or could credibly promise to do that would justify this level of accommodation. And, if the administration plans to negotiate with Bashir through incentives, it will seem every bit as naive as its critics have claimed.
In the meantime, more will die as Khartoum uses the people of Darfur as a bargaining chip. What is needed now is for the administration to change the rules of the game. Make it clear to Sudan's elites that Bashir, not the people of Darfur, is the chip they should play. Whether they choose to or not, it will lead to a better deal for Darfur.
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Reader Comments
General Gration's "record"
Since U.S. Special Envoy Gration visited Sudan to "listen and learn" and concede that the 13 expelled humanitarian aid organizations were unlikely to return, the Government of Sudan has attacked neighboring Chad,bombed Darfuri civilians (according to UNAMID),blocked a major civil society peace conference from taking place while stating it is working for peace, and continues to refuse the restoration of life-saving aid to Northern Sudanese. How much longer will the Obama Administration tolerate such acts by a government headed by an indicated war criminal rather than take all necessary steps to end them?
Obama and Dafur
Mr. Dobson, you did not consider the possibility that the solution to the problem in Dafur will depend on identifying exactly what caused the problem in the first place? You quite correctly observe that threats and sanctions have not had the desired effect, and yet you advice more threats and more sanctions? You suggest in addition isolation, do you really believe that after Bush the US has the moral authority to tell any sovereign State what to do,that is to sever relationship with Omar al Bashir? Perhaps you should listen to your special envoy.He obviously knows something you don't know, and hopefully the solution can be worked out more effectively.
The US withdrew from the ICC!
The US at present DOESN'T support the ICC, so demanding that the US send signals to the contrary puts the cart before the horse. Job one is making the commitment to rejoin the world community by un-renouncing Bush's renunciation of Clinton's signature on the treaty.
Because such an action cannot be politically seperated from the question of Bush administration war crimes, it will remain off the table until the latter situation is resolved.
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