John Prendergast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jonathan Hutson, jhutson@enoughproject.org, +1-202-386-1618

WASHINGTON – The international community must take a new approach to peace in Darfur by abandoning its piecemeal approach to Sudan, and demanding a comprehensive peace process that will address overarching national grievances, according to a new Enough Project policy report.

“It is time to recognize that the issues in Darfur mirror those in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and the East, which all stem from a common denominator of marginalization by the center,” said co-author and Enough Project Advisor Omer Ismail.  “To move toward peace in the north, the international community should prioritize a push for an all-inclusive, national process that reflects the will of the Sudanese people.”

"The Darfur peace process is dead,” said co-author and Enough Project Co-Founder John Prendergast. “The idea that any one region can be negotiated in a process unconnected to other regions that suffer the same inequities and repression is fatally flawed.  The time has come to move to a new phase in peacemaking in Sudan, before the country is engulfed in a full-scale national war.  A process involving all regions, constitutional reform, and elections is the peaceful way to resolve Sudan's multiple conflicts.  Absent that, more intense war will follow, and the suffering of Sudan's population will deepen."

A national peace process, which includes establishing a constitutional conference followed by free and fair elections, should aim to resolve shared grievances—such as economic and political marginalization at the hands of the ruling regime in Khartoum—that have been negotiated ineffectively at the regional level. The process should also include a second phase in which regional stakeholders, including Darfuris, could negotiate any outstanding issues unique to their region.

“To ensure the success of a comprehensive peace process, there must also be a change in the mediation,” said co-author Laura Jones, a Sudan policy analyst for the Enough Project. “The competitive approach to peacemaking that has defined the Darfur mediation thus far must be countered by the designation of a new, internationally-supported mediator, who can effectively negotiate with all parties.”

The report provides a "Checklist for a more inclusive all-Sudan peace process," which outlines attributes of an ideal mediator, as well as prerequisites for a successful peace process.

Read the full report: "How to Save Darfur’s Peace Process"

###

Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Huffington Post: Getting Specific About Accountability in Sudan

By: John Prendergast, Co-authored by: Ashley Benner

It has become almost obligatory for policy-makers and pundits to talk about accountability and breaking the cycle of impunity. However, when it comes to specific action, it has been a long time since the United States has done anything to support real accountability and justice on the ground in Sudan. With the South Sudan and Abyei referenda scheduled for January 9 -- less than four months from now -- and with the accompanying potential for renewed war and human rights violations, the U.S. must commit to doing all it can to prevent war and secure justice in Sudan.
 

Keeping reading this Huffington Post article.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Report: What's Wrong with U.S. Policy Toward Sudan, and How to Fix It

WASHINGTON, D.C. -The Enough Project has released a new report that argues that U.S. policy is not contributing in a meaningful way to creating peace and justice in Sudan, and suggests alternative steps that officials can take to make peace in Sudan a reality.

With only six months until the self-determination referenda for South Sudan and Abyei, the report describes how U.S. policymakers have failed to act decisively to prevent a return to war between North and South Sudan, or to resolve the escalating conflict in Darfur.

In the report, titled, “What’s Wrong with U.S. Policy Toward Sudan, and How to Fix It,” Enough Co-founder John Prendergast argues that the words and actions of U.S. officials have undermined the administration’s influence in Sudan, just when its efforts are needed most.

“The time has come for an urgent rethink of how the United States can contribute to peace in Sudan now, building on the lessons of the recent past,” writes Prendergast.

The report outlines four specific areas where U.S. policy is off course. These include a flawed peace process in Darfur, a hands-off approach to critical negotiations to prevent renewed North-South war, the role of the Unites States in building leverage for peace, and justice as an essential component of sustainable peace.

“The United States made a major contribution to peace-making in Sudan in the past decade,” argues Prendergast. “Sadly, the Obama administration is not building on the lessons of past success and thus is not positioning itself to play the role that is needed in averting all-out war in 2011.”

###