Ann-Louise Colgan is the acting co-executive director of Africa Action, the oldest Africa advocacy organization in the U.S.
As the violence in the Middle East dominates the deadlines, the crisis in Darfur grows worse by the day.
Despite the apparent progress signaled by the conclusion of a peace deal in May, the security situation on the ground has markedly deteriorated since then. Aid agencies this week voiced worries that increasing chaos and instability may cause them to shut down or seriously diminish the scale of their operations, even as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
The cease-fire agreement has been broken and the formation of new alliances and factions related to the peace agreement has greatly complicated the situation on the ground and led to a devastating spike in violence. A new alliance of Darfuri rebels opposing the peace agreement claimed to lead an attack on government positions in early July, and there are indications that the only rebel group that did sign the peace deal, Minni Minnawi’s Sudan Liberation Army, is now joining forces with the Sudanese army in carrying out military attacks against non-signatories of the deal.
The peace deal enjoys little popular support among the people of Darfur, who are bearing the brunt of the growing violence and who have seen no benefit from the conclusion of the agreement on May 5. It is estimated that attacks against civilians have doubled since May, and tens of thousands of Darfuris have been newly displaced. The humanitarian crisis in Darfur and eastern Chad is growing, as humanitarian agencies have been forced to curtail their efforts in some areas as a result of the growing insecurity.
There is a clear and urgent need for a United Nations peacekeeping force to provide protection to civilians and humanitarian operations and to pave the way for a political settlement. But the government of Sudan adamantly refuses to allow a U.N. mission into Darfur. Only the United States can pressure the government in Khartoum to break the deadlock.
As the situation in Darfur has deteriorated, senior U.S. officials—including President Bush—have expressed concern and espoused their commitment to addressing this crisis. The president recently met with Minni Minnawi and emphasized his desire for peace. But there have been no actions to back their words. Instead, the international community has left the African Union to tackle the crisis in Darfur, where its small mission is overwhelmed, under-resourced and unable to provide the necessary security or begin to monitor and implement the recent peace agreement.
The establishment of such a U.N. peacekeeping mission has now received broad international support. It is also entirely consistent with the “Responsibility to Protect ” principle, according to which all U.N. member states agreed last September that there is an international obligation to protect populations against genocide and other crimes against humanity.
However, despite this broad international consensus around the need for a U.N. peacekeeping operation in Darfur, such a mission has yet to be authorized or initiated. In an outrageous manipulation, the government of Sudan’s vehement opposition to a U.N. operation continues to dictate the pace and the extent of the international response to this crisis. As the stalemate persists, the death toll in Darfur grows, and there has been no effective challenge to Khartoum’s stonewalling.
The U.S. can and must be the one to break the deadlock on Darfur. It remains the only government to have publicly acknowledged that what is happening in Darfur is genocide, and it has asserted itself as a leader on this crisis, investing diplomatically in the peace process and financially in humanitarian efforts. The Bush administration has unique power and leverage with the government of Sudan that can challenge its opposition and pave the way for the necessary U.N. peacekeeping mission.
In the past, U.S. pressure on Sudan has yielded results, forcing Khartoum to expel Osama bin Laden in 1996, and pushing it to conclude the long-running peace process between Khartoum and rebel groups in Southern Sudan. Now, the Sudanese government wishes to strengthen its ties and ultimately “normalize” relations with Washington. The U.S. must make clear that the future of U.S. relations with Sudan depends on Khartoum’s cooperation with the international community in allowing a U.N. peacekeeping mission into Darfur. The U.S. should use all available pressure points to overcome the Sudanese government’s opposition and to achieve a rapid and robust U.N. force for Darfur.
Last week, the U.N. Secretary-General made his recommendations to the Security Council on the requirements for a U.N. mission for Darfur. The necessary next step is for the U.S. to weigh in and show its strong support for a U.N. peacekeeping force by challenging Khartoum’s stance. A U.N. mission is only the first step on the long road to peace in Darfur, but it is essential to stabilize the situation and protect the vulnerable, and it is needed now.
Next month marks the two-year anniversary of the Bush administration’s recognition that what is happening in Darfur constitutes genocide. With major events planned in Washington, D.C. and in New York, among other cities around the country, pressure is building on the administration to take new action to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Countless lives can still be saved if the U.S. acts now to bring effective pressure to bear on Khartoum to accept the international community’s demand for a U.N. peacekeeping mission.
Without such U.S. action, there may be no end in sight to the genocide in Darfur.
