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Sudan Policy Release Sparks Widespread Media Coverage
Finally, after months marked by speculation, alarming hints of appeasement toward Khartoum (cookies, anyone?) and rumors of sharp division, the Obama administration announced its new Sudan policy Monday. At the State Dept. podium with U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and Sudan Special Envoy Maj. General Scott Gration, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced policy in which, "Assessment of progress and decisions regarding incentives and disincentives will be based on verifiable changes in conditions on the ground."
Many activists and experts breathed a sigh of relief, at the same time noting that the crucial part, implementation, must begin now.
A robust round of media coverage and statements from the administration and Capitol Hill reinforced the significance of the long-awaited announcement.
On the NewsHour, PBS correspondent Ray Suarez nicely spotlighted the nuances of the new policy and the stakes for Sudan. The story includes an interview with Enough co-founder John Prendergast, as well as a hard-hitting interview with Gen. Gration, who unfortunately refused to offer specific examples of the types of pressures the U.S. would apply toward Khartoum:
"Well, there's a wide variety of things and most of these are in a list that we would look at very carefully, and choose the ones that are appropriate, ones that would acheive the desired effect," Gen. Gration told Suarez. "The pressures include those that are political, economic -- and you can figure out what they are."
Voice of America added to the mix with a detailed wrapup featuring analysis from Enough executive director John Norris:
In print, Norris offered a Sudan policy score card for Foreign Policy, and Prendergast warned of “Sudan's State-Sponsored Pyromania” in the LA Times.
The Washington Post, way ahead of the pack on covering the policy formulation, moved the story forward after the announcement with this spotlight on the North-South conflict.
Stories from NPR, Reuters and CNN, to name just a few, rounded out the day.
Additional statements on the policy poured in from across Washington. President Obama, of course, issued a statement. Senator Russ Feingold echoed many activists in his desire "to learn more about the specific pressures being considered to make the Sudanese government comply and under what specific conditions these steps would be triggered." The State Department issued a transcript of an interesting background briefing conducted after the policy announcement.
Gen. Gration even posted on the State Department's blog, concluding, "The situation is urgent. Time is short. Failure is not an option."
We agree.
If you missed the announcement, check it out from C-SPAN here.
The written policy is here.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sudan: New Obama strategy not tangible
Analysts say it is hard to know what is new in the U.S. policy announced by Clinton (right) and U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, because the administration is keeping many details secret.
The Sudanese Government says the new U.S. carrot-and-stick policy aimed at engaging the largest African nation, lacks practical and tangible steps.
“The strategy lacks practical steps that the American administration can commit to. It has assumed that actions only come from Sudan and Washington's role is only to evaluate,” Gazi Salaheddin, Sudan's top presidential advisor said on Monday.
He added that Khartoum hopes that the implementation of the details of the new strategy would turn out better then its theoretical content.
The remarks came hours after U.S. President Barack Obama said his country would offer Sudan incentives to end the crisis in Darfur.
Obama has however threatened that Washington would increase pressure on the impoverished nation, if the Sudanese government fails to respond.
“Words alone are not enough,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters on Monday, adding that assessments based on “verifiable changes in conditions on the ground” would be taken into consideration as progress.
For example, the Obama administration would watch for 'credible elections,' scheduled for next year under a fragile 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the 22-year civil war in the south.
The elections, which have already been postponed twice, are scheduled for February 2010, while a historic independence referendum is due in 2011.
Obama believes that his new approach will ensure that Sudan does not become a 'safe haven for terrorists' and that the CPA peace deal is fully implemented.
However, aid groups expressed reservations Monday about the new U.S. policy.
“The key issue is what kind of diplomatic energy is the administration putting into this? Is it a piece of paper or a strategy?” Sam Bell, who heads the Genocide Intervention Network, told AFP.
Jerry Fowler, president of the Save Darfur Coalition, an umbrella group for more than 100 organizations, has also said that some issues remain unclear in the policy's implementation.
John Prendergast, a co-founder of the 'Enough Project,' an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity, has also said that the outlook for the troubled country “is not optimistic, as the Obama administration announces its new policy”.
Analysts believe that the Obama administration, which began a review of its Sudan policy in March, faces a complicated situation over Darfur, and also over an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against President Omar al-Bashir.
(Source: Press TV) -
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=206019