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A Middle Ground in Sudan
Beneath the din of these sound bites, however, the administration’s new policy does offer something more substantive and promising: a renewed commitment to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which north and south Sudan both signed. Lest we forget, before 300,000 people were killed in Darfur beginning in 2003, at least 2 million lost their lives in decades of civil war between north and south Sudan.
And without U.S. pressure, the north would never have signed the 2005 peace deal, which, for all its flaws, did indeed bring an end to much of the fighting between north and south—for the time being, at least. Over the past four years, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has largely been forgotten as the U.S. has turned its attention to the conflagration in Darfur. Now it’s time to return our attention to the whole of Sudan as the Khartoum-based cabal continues to wage attacks against its margins—west, east, south, and even north, in order to hold onto power.
Like it or not, the U.S. is going to be forced to pay more attention to Sudan. In 2010, Bashir is up for reelection. If the election happens, it is almost certain to be a sham—and a botched, mock contest, most of which the U.S. is supposed to pay for, could lead the country back to war.
Then, in 2011, south Sudan is scheduled to vote in a referendum to decide whether it wants to remain part of the north or gain its independence. That decision would effectively split Sudan’s million square miles in two and change the map of Africa. The potential of such a split is incomprehensible. These are the larger issues Sudan is facing, and the ones we surely hope the administration is already considering—whether or not they want to tell us about it.
Eliza Griswold is a New America fellow and a recipient of the 2010 Rome Prize. Her book, The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches from the Fault Line between Islam and Christianity, will by published by FSG this spring.
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numonk
Yes, but how is Sudan as a place to meet eligible bachelors?
case1234
Here come the "conservative critics." You know, the ones who said NOTHING about Dafur during the height of the carnage when Bush was in office. Also, the ones who accuse Obama a trying to be President of the World then turn around and hold him responsible for every crack in the Earths crust.
And to the left, make up your mind. You want Obama it get out of Afghanistan NOW knowing full well that some people will be slaughtered but are upset that Obama wont do more for Dafur against the Sudanese Gov. - Be honest, its not like we can send troops. Diplomacy is the only real option given our 2 wars and all.
DrToketee
"the new Sudan policy is classic Obama."
Rephrased: classic Zero-bama is COWARDICE.
crngndmhm
Your right he should take the hard stance and follow up with bombing the hell out of the country and troop occupation. Cause it's been proven to work so well everywhere else.
OldCrow
Darfur is reasonably quiet now, since most of the IDP's are in camps - their villages burned. Attacks are limited to resupply convoys, sometimes usually by bandits but never without the approval of the Govt of Sudan or SLA. Darfur is effectively a stalemate now.
The North / South conflict is getting worse. Southern ('African') Sudan wants to break away from Northern ('Arab') Sudan. Of course, the oil is in the South, but decades of Khartoun stealing all the oil money and violently repressing southern Sudan will not be forgotten. There is much at play over here, and too many players to list in a short response to this article.
Obama is certainly not at fault for the current situation in Sudan, it took decades for the current situation to evolve. However, dealing with the Govt of Sudan, who are responsible for much of the killing in Darfur and southern Sudan seems reckless. Heck government troops have killed at least as many aid workers as the SLA and bandits.
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