President Bashir Tests New Obama Policy on Sudan

/PRNewswire/ -- With the news that President Omar al-Bashir plans to travel to Turkey and Egypt in the coming days, President Obama faces the first test of his recently announced Sudan policy.

The Enough Project at the Center for American Progress, the Save Darfur Coalition, and the Genocide Intervention Network jointly released the following statement in reaction:

If President Obama and Secretary Clinton are unwilling to engage in personal diplomacy at the highest level to ensure that a wanted war criminal does not continue to travel with impunity to the capitals of key U.S. allies, it will send a powerful message that the administration isn't serious about implementing the Sudan strategy it just announced.

John Norris, Executive Director of the Enough Project, noted, "For Turkey, a member of NATO and an aspiring member of the European Union, to welcome President Bashir is frankly baffling. If Turkey is truly committed to the values that would make membership of the European Union possible, it should quickly make clear that President Bashir is absolutely unwelcome."

Jerry Fowler, President of the Save Darfur Coalition, added, "President Bashir's travel is a test of the administration's resolve on Sudan. If the President and Secretary of State let it happen without objection, Khartoum will get the message that the newly stated commitment to multilateral leadership is hollow. And for Turkey, it's an opportunity to align itself with the E.U., most Latin American countries, and the emerging practice in sub-Saharan Africa: Convey to Bashir that he shouldn't come unless he wants to risk arrest upon landing."

Sam Bell, Executive Director of Genocide Intervention Network, added, "Given the depth and breadth of U.S. engagement with Egypt, it is striking that the situation in Sudan - and Bashir's status as a war criminal - don't appear t be part of the recent conversation among senior officials. How can the administration expect to effectively implement its new plan if it doesn't make Sudan a top priority?"

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Continuation of the national emergency with respect to Sudan

(APO)/ -- On November 3, 1997, by Executive Order 13067, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Sudan, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Sudan. On April 26, 2006, in Executive Order 13400, the President determined that the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region posed an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, expanded the scope of the national emergency to deal with that threat, and ordered the blocking of property of certain persons connected to the conflict. On October 13, 2006, the President issued Executive Order 13412 to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency and to implement the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-344).

Because the actions and policies of the Government of Sudan continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on November 3, 1997, as expanded on April 26, 2006, and with respect to which additional steps were taken on October 13, 2006, must continue in effect beyond November 3, 2009. Therefore, consistent with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Sudan.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

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U.S. Department of State/ Sudan Strategy

(APO) In the past, the United States' approach to Sudan has been reactive rather than proactive and narrowly focused on emerging crises. The new strategy focuses on reinvigorating the international support that is critical to building peace and security in Sudan. The strategy is the first comprehensive U.S. policy on Sudan that recognizes the links between the Darfur and implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. More importantly, the strategy is based on a policy of “verify, then trust” such that backsliding on CPA implementation or failure by any party to work to resolve the situation in Darfur is met with credible pressure, leveraged by the United States or the international community. These changes, while seemingly simple, are significant and allow us to begin the necessary long-term planning and coordination at all levels of government.

Our history in dealing with the complex challenges in Sudan has taught the importance of:

A full-time special envoy central to the approach

An approach that is integrated, comprehensive, and uses all elements of influence to achieve our strategic objectives

A frank dialogue by the Special Envoy with the Government of Sudan about what needs to be accomplished, how the bilateral relationship can improve if conditions transform, and how the government would become even more isolated if conditions remain the same or worsen. The dialogue must be based on a policy of “verify, then trust”

Broadening the multilateral coalition actively working to achieve peace in Darfur and the full implementation of the CPA. Backsliding by any party will be met with credible, meaningful disincentives leveraged by Washington and the international community

Sudan is one of the largest and most devastating humanitarian crises of the 21st century: over 2 million people were killed in the decades-long war between north and south and hundreds of thousands died and millions displaced as the result of genocide in Darfur. In addition, it is one of the most important and complex political and security challenges in Africa.

When the administration began the policy review on Sudan nearly seven months ago, it was with the clear understanding that any resulting strategy to address these enormous challenges would need to encompass the whole of government, the international community, and stakeholders from civil society. The U.S. Strategy on Sudan is a result of extensive interagency coordination and planning at the highest levels and well as a frank dialogue with our partners in the international community, congress, and advocacy groups.

The strategy recognizes that any durable solution to the conflict in Darfur must be inclusive of all segments of Darfuri society and address the root causes of the conflict – including political representation and development – as well as compensation for survivors and reconciliation. For this reason, the United States is working aggressively to find ways of including the voices of Darfuri civil society representatives in peace talks.

This new strategy comes only months prior to significant deadlines in the CPA being reached, and therefore reflects the urgency with which we view those milestones, to include national elections and a referendum on southern succession. The Strategy outlines how the United States will work closely with its international partners to: provide assistance for elections in 2010 and the referendum on southern self-determination in 2011; support efforts to push for the timely and transparent demarcation of the North-South border, support conflict resolution mechanisms within southern Sudan and along the north-south border; and Promote Improved Governing Capacity and Greater Transparency in Southern Sudan.

Source: US Department of State

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January 5 Statement by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley

Today, President Bush announced his approval of the airlift of equipment for the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The President also authorized the waiver of the 15-day congressional notification requirements to allow the airlift assistance to proceed immediately, because failing to do so would pose a substantial risk to human health and welfare.

The U.S. provision of airlift will deliver equipment and vehicles that are critical to the UNAMID deployment, and will thus help UNAMID directly protect civilian lives and improve the safe and effective delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid to areas of west Darfur currently inaccessible due to security concerns.

Today's announcement is further evidence that Nicholas Kristof's portrayal last week of this Administration's response to the genocide in Darfur (A New Chance for Darfur, December 28, 2008) was inaccurate. President Bush has been committed to resolving the crisis there since the United States first labeled it genocide in 2004. Even prior to the Darfur crisis, the President showed his commitment to the cause of peace in Sudan by pressing for a historic peace agreement between the North and South that ended the country's 22-year civil war which took more than two million lives.

The President has named three special envoys to advance peace in Sudan: Senator John Danforth, who helped achieved the North-South peace and initiated our efforts on Darfur; followed by the appointment of Andrew Natsios, and finally the appointment of Rich Williamson in January 2008. Prior to Williamson's appointment, more robust military options were considered by the President for Darfur. The decision not to pursue those options was driven by the pleas of the leading church, advocacy, and humanitarian organizations dedicated to Darfur, who argued that United States military action would imperil their ability to deliver the kinds of life saving assistance that continues to keep more than 3.5 million Darfuris alive each year. Experts within the U.S. Agency for International Development were making similar arguments, as was the African Union, which at the time had more than 7,000 peacekeepers deployed across Darfur. And in a meeting just this month with a leading Darfuri human rights activist, the message was once again reiterated that U.S. military action would only worsen the situation for the very people we are trying to save.

This is not to say that increasing pressure on the Government of Sudan to relent in its campaign of violence is not a crucial element of U.S. policy toward Sudan. It is. U.S. financial sanctions against Sudan are among the toughest we have. Over the last five years, hundreds of millions of dollars in Sudanese transactions have been blocked or disrupted. Last year, the President further tightened these measures, announcing sanctions against dozens of companies tied to the Bashir regime or linked to violence in Darfur. Sudanese companies lost access to international markets and financing, including one of the regime's primary bankers in Europe. Within months of this action, the Sudanese government relented in its opposition to allowing United Nations peacekeepers to deploy to Darfur.

Unilateral pressure alone cannot be our policy. And it is not. That is why we are working closely with the United Nations to ensure that the peacekeepers are actually deployed and that they are trained and equipped effectively to carry out their mandate. It is also why we are supporting the work of the U.N./AU Mediator, Djibril Bassole, who has slowly gained the trust and confidence of government officials and rebel leaders alike. Bassole knows that, regrettably there are no silver bullets or quick fixes to this great human tragedy. The United States will continue to lead the international community to stand by the people of Darfur and to deploy and support the U.N. peacekeeping operation.


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