US administration reaches consensus on Sudan policy: official

September 4, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The US administration managed to settle differences within its circles on the long awaited and much delayed Sudan policy review, a senior US official told reporters today.

The US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration said that on Thursday night the administration “reached [an] agreement on the overall broad framework on what we call incentives and pressures” as part of the policy review, the Foreign Policy magazine quoted the retired general.

However, Gration suggested that US president Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will have to sign off on the plan for it to become final.

Before taking office, Obama promised the release of a comprehensive strategy on Sudan within the first few months of taking office, but rifts within the administration on “soft” versus “tough” approach, with the former supported by Gration and the latter by US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice.

Gration speaking to US lawmakers last July downplayed any disagreement with Rice.

Darfur advocacy groups in Washington also became increasingly critical and frustrated of what they viewed as downgrading the issue of Sudan on the priority list of the administration and a lenient language in dealing with Khartoum.

An advertising campaign was launched by these groups recently in US newspapers urging Obama to step up pressure with a subtle criticism suggesting that he has backed away from his presidential campaign promises last year.

Gration today defended his efforts and his engagement with the Sudanese government as response to these ads.

“I think it’s probably not as useful when you start saying that we’re not doing anything, because if they were watching me and seeing how many trips I’ve made around the world and there, and what we’re accomplishing,” he said.

The US official said that he has been working around the clock with different agencies within the administration on the policy review including National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Treasury.

Gration stressed that it was up to Sudanese people to create their own solutions to their problems.

“What we need to do is be able to do is to bring Sudan along and not force things on them–not to bring our solutions on, but what our approach is is to create an environment where they themselves are part of the process, where when we are done it’s durable, lasting and sustainable without our help and without our money,” he said.

Asked about whether he would meet with Sudanese president Omer Al-Bashir who faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last March, Gration said he had no plans to but would not rule it out “to move the process forward”.

“We’re the only country right now that has relations, good relations, with the governments of southern Sudan and Khartoum” Gration said.

“We would like to be able to fix Darfur and the South and the Chad conflict, the proxy war, we’d like to bring regional stability without ever having to go to Khartoum. I’m serious, it would be wonderful” he added.

Gration pulled back from his earlier positions on full-blown lifting of sanctions imposed on Sudan saying he favors “creating exceptions” to aid humanitarian and development projects in the East African nation.

The US special envoy will return to Sudan this month primarily to follow up on progress achieved in resolving outstanding issues between the North and the South on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) including referendum law and using disputed census results in the April 2010 elections.

(ST)