This morning’s confirmation hearing of Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee showed us the first window into how the new administration will approach the issue of Darfur and preventing mass atrocities in general.
To quote Clinton: “There is a great need for us to sound the alarm again about Darfur. It is a terrible humanitarian crisis compounded by a corrupt and very cruel regime in Khartoum." Clinton also indicated the Obama team hoped to bolster the United Nations/African Union force and was also looking at measures including “no fly zones, other sanctions and sanctuaries” in an effort not only “to protect the refugees, but also to repel the militias."
In her written answers to the panel, Clinton anticipated that “the administration will review how the United States, working with our allies, partners, and international organizations, can build greater capacity and resolve to deter, prevent, and, when necessary, take action to stop mass atrocities.”
Secretary of State-designate Clinton also expected that that the conflicts in Sudan and Darfur would be subject to an early policy review, and we can only hope that happens on an urgent basis.