Obama defends his administration efforts on Darfur
June 5, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – The US president Barack Obama defended the actions taken by his administration with regards to the Darfur crisis.
“We’ve been working diligently to solve that immediate problem [in Darfur] and get humanitarian assistance back on the ground” Obama said.
“We’ve been very active on this issue. It may not have received the attention in the press that some of the other issues have, but we are spending a lot of time trying to make sure that we make progress and that the people of Darfur are able to return to their homes and live in peace” he added.
The US president said he raised the issue during his meeting with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Thursday.
The Obama administration has been receiving growing criticism from Darfur advocates in the US who say that little has been done to press the Sudanese government to halt the Darfur violence.
Other critics say that Obama’s administration is backing on its promises made during the campaign to make Darfur a priority and deploy tougher approach in dealing with Khartoum.
Over the last few months US officials have suggested that normalizing relations with Sudan and lifting sanctions are on the table in what appears to be a different approach than his predecessor.
Sudan has welcomed the gestures form Obama describing them as “positive”.
Obama said that his administration through his special envoy Scott Gration is working to revive the Darfur peace process and to solve the situation that resulted from Sudan’s expulsion of humanitarian organizations in March.
The US is throwing its weight behind talks in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar between Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Khartoum.
On the issue of humanitarian organizations Washington said that Sudan promised to allow Western relief groups to replace the expelled ones but so far nothing has materialized.
Obama reiterated his labeling of the Darfur conflict as “genocide” saying the international community has an obligation to act “even when its inconvenient”.
(ST)
wen de kut-ajok
Obama defends his administration efforts on Darfur
My dear Obama, you better act now befor its too late.
Ambago
Obama defends his administration efforts on Darfur
The issue of Darfur though seemingly to have been in the media most of the time, yet the truth is that the crisis has been by all standards under reported.
We must confess that thousands of Darfuris are still suffering in the refuge camps and elsewhere.
The NCP is a bunch of criminals bent to do everything it can to remain in power. They are used to buying time and we all know that if it were not for the toughness of the post 9/11 Neo – conservatives the CPA that stopped a similar bloodshed in the southern part of the country wouldn’t have materialised.
I strongly insist that the US administration must be very cautious in dealing with the criminals in Khartoum. Their intensions of doing great harm in Darfur is evident from the way they expelled the 16 NGO’s following the ICC arrest warrant against President Al Bashir.
Secondly, the labelling of the crisis in Darfur as a low intensity has very much harmed the problem. The damage and loss of life in Darfur is already too much, and being in some people’s perception as a low intensity at the moment should NEVER slow the search for finding an urgent settlement.
President Obama must come out stronger than even what he did during the Presidential Campaign. And the peace talks be the one in Doha or elsewhere must move at a more faster pace than it is right now. The people have suffered enough.
Danisco
Obama defends his administration efforts on Darfur
Thank you Mr. president Obama for the move you’ve taken on Darfur issue may God bless you for this. and I wish that Darfurian must do their best also to stop war in Darfur region immidiately.
Apalo Mana
Obama defends his administration efforts on Darfur
Yes, mr president Obama we knew that every new president comes to the presidental in US has strong progress to solve the Sudanese problems but could you imagine how many of them they have gone and still the sitaution standing as it’s no any changes and what you said we have heard your speach but I am not commencing because there’s hope from you untill the moment but my advice is do not depends on[NCP]of khartoum because they are just abunching their criminals since they are still carring on the criticism against the civilliance in sudan so, mr Barack Obama we are going to rejoyce of your solutions that will take place in the sudan verey soon because it’s enough for 22 years of war
paul baak anyaar
Obama defends his administration efforts on Darfur
To me, Obama is a good man. I must be understood clearly in this case. I don’t want to be taken like Shakespeare’s fictional character in his play, ‘The Merchant of Venice’who refers to Antonio ( another character in the same play) as a good man, meaning that he is financially reliable. No, I use the word ‘Good’ here for its strictest meaning. Obama wants to be good to everyone in the world. He wants to be good to Al Bashir, Osama, Ahmedadinejad, Mugabe, and the Somali coast pirates. All these in the name of achieving world peaceful co-existence with the United States ( United States only mind you). So if you think that Obama has done little contribution to the end of Darfur crisis, then you are right. But you need to remember that the grand plan is to ‘normalise US relations with Khartoum.’
Please President Obama, you need to do more to prove beyond reasonable doubts that you are not a square peg in a round hole!
warda
Obama defends his administration efforts on Darfur
I am sick and tired of these lazy people talking bad about OBAMA!
OBAMA HAS DONE MORE IN A MONTH THAN EVERY PRESIDENT HAS DONE IN A LIFETIME!
Don’t blame your country’s failures on anyone but your government!
Obama is trying to lend an open hand to people and you criticize it? how rude and ungrateful!!!
Obama’s words are sooo beautiful that even poets are jealous of him.
Obama also is a man of action!!!!!!!!! so NEVER think for a second he makes false promises.
I been watching and seeing what obama does for 4 years as a senator and a community organizer in Chicago and Obama is known to get things done!!!
So all you haters out there need to quit your complaining and actually do something to better your own country instead of waiting for foreign leaders to address your issues.
GET A LIFE!!