US presidential contender criticizes negotiations with Sudan on normalizing ties
April 21, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — Democratic White House contender Barack Obama said he is “deeply concerned” over reports that the Bush administration is negotiating with Sudan over normalizing ties.
Last week the New York Times (NYT) obtained a series of documents exchanged between the Washington and Khartoum on a series of steps to normalize relations between the two countries. The documents were leaked by an unidentified US official described as being “critical of the administration’s position”.
The report said that the Bush administration could remove Sudan from an American list of state supporters of terrorism and normalize relations if the Sudanese government agreed, among other steps, to allow Thai and Nepalese peacekeepers as part of the peacekeeping force.
The newly appointed US special envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson met in Rome last week with a high level Sudanese delegation to discuss normalization of ties. The meeting adjourned late Friday and will be resumed “within a month” according to Sudan official news agency (SUNA).
The Democratic senator said that the US administration “should be holding the Government of Sudan accountable for its past promises to let UN peacekeepers operate within its borders”.
“Khartoum’s record of inaction and obstruction when it comes to the deployment of the AU-UN force must not be rewarded” he added.
The NYT report created shock among many Darfur advocates who think that the Sudanese government has not lived up to its previous commitments with regards to Darfur and partially to the North-South agreement.
Obama also said that the Bush administration “should be holding Sudan accountable for failing to implement significant aspects of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), imperiling the prospects for scheduled multiparty elections in 2009”.
“For years, the Government of Sudan has thwarted the will of the United States and the international community, and offended the standards of our common humanity. Before we improve our relationship with the Government of Sudan, conditions must improve for the Sudanese people. We cannot stand down – we must continue to stand up for peace and human rights” he added.
The US special envoy to Sudan will appear before the Senate Foreign relations committee headed by Senator Joe Biden next Wednesday to discuss the Darfur crisis. It is expected that Williamson will come under fire from the Senators to justify the latest move by the US administration to normalize ties with Khartoum despite the lack of progress on Darfur crisis.
Obama sits on the committee but it is not clear if he will attend the hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The presidential candidate has been one of the most outspoken US lawmakers on the Darfur crisis.
Recently the Illinois senator called on Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games in Beijing to pressure the Chinese government on its relationship with Khartoum.
“If the Chinese do not take steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security, and human rights of the Tibetan people, then the president should boycott the opening ceremonies” Obama said earlier this month in a statement.
International experts estimate some 200,000 have died and over 2 million have been driven from their homes during 4-1/2 years of fighting in Darfur. Sudan puts the death toll from the conflict at just 9,000.
(ST)
Manyang
US presidential contender criticizes negotiations with Sudan on normalizing ties
American foreign policy is a chameleon type of policy By: Manyang Deng
I take this opportunity to acknowledge the sincere concern of honourable Senator Obama about the crisis in the Sudan. The crisis in the Sudan are more of a concern to the peace loving people of the world like senator Obama but to business minded individuals it is a business as usual.
In my view the current US administration has never been serious about resolving the sudanese cycle of political instability. Infact it is in the interest of some politician in the US to let the cycle continue.
The NIF/NCP had assurance from the current US government that the the government of the United States will never do anything that will undermind the NIF governance of the sudan. This assurance was made at the time when American government was pushing the NIF to negotiate peace with SPLM/A.
If the most brutal and repressive regime of the 21 st century can reveive assurance of it survival from the most powerful nation of the world how do you expect it to behave.
The SPLM position at the time of CPA negotiation was the crucial step in addressing the sudanese conflict. SPLM proposed that, the marginalized people of the sudan whom the SPLM/A was fighting for their rights were to brought to negotiation table. This means, people in Darfur, Eastern sudan, Southern sudan and other marginalized areas were to be present at the negotiation. The NCP and the current US government opposed the proposal. The current US government urged SPLM to base it negotiation position within southern borders. The current US government said the fighting in Darfur and Eastern sudan were separate conflicts and were to be addressed differently. There was a possibility of addressing the sudanese conflict once and for all at the time of CPA negotiation but the NCP with the blessing of current US government blocked that chance.
NCP is dragging it feet over CPA because it knows that the US government will not be too concern. The negotiation of NCP with US government to resume diplomatic ties is not coincidence but it will be a fulfillment of US promise to NCP not to undermind its authority. It does not matter how much the NCP engage the sudanese people in terror, the current US government will not push the NCP. Is it worse it for the US government to maintain the most evil regime in power at the expense of the entire sudanese population.
I hope for the change in the white house. I would like Democratic to win the coming election in November. I am hoping to see how the Democrats will approach the sudanese conflict if they win in November. My people have suffered a lot and people with sense of humanity like senator Obama are very crucial in addressing the chronic conflict in the sudan.
Long live the struggle of the marginalized people of the sudan.
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
US presidential contender criticizes negotiations with Sudan on normalizing ties
Great JOB Mr OBAMA
First of all i would say 99.9% Beshir will not be able to stop the relation of Sudan and USA,promise and truely the,normalize between Sudan and USA is guarantee logically and fundamential,Mr Beshir has nothing about this relation,let him think about his plan of genocide against Sudanese indigenous “Blacks” and importing weapons from Chinese gov to kill with Sudanese black.This point has brough an internal wound and this would not be forttable for decades.Beshir has entered a great fire for his failure to implement significant aspects of the 2005 CPA and all his plans of looking at Sudanese indigenous as animals would have it time to be dicusse and reasonable answers should be provided.
through the suffering of African people and all their bloods as GOD has recoreded in his dairy for decades promise and hopefully OBAMA will come to power and African lives will come to modern World.those tears of Durfurians including same around the glob are higly in the hearts of USA people to open a clean and free way for him to win the position of USA president.
loving brother LOGIC is Back
Ben-Fu
US presidential contender criticizes negotiations with Sudan on normalizing ties
I wouldn’t praise any politician!
They’re all liars, flatulent rotten cabbages