What do you all think about the new Enough Project report, "Creating a Peace to Keep in Darfur" (http://www.enoughproject.org/reports/creatingpeacedarfur)?

This line struck me: "A successful peace agreement must effectively address the local and national contexts of the conflict. In particular, the Darfur conflict cannot be resolved without resolving the vital issues of wealth and power distribution in Sudan."

Is this notion (that there needs to be an "all-Sudan solution" in order for the conflict in Darfur to end) something that all parties (especially President Bush’s Special Envoy Richard Williamson) are realizing?

Thanks for your comment, bethechange.

Unfortunately, I think the current U.S. administration is taking the wrong steps re its Sudan policy. Outside of your question about whether or not the U.S. is beginning to adopt an 'all-Sudan perspective,' there are some larger and troubling developments that Darfur advocates should keep in mind...

The New York Times reported yesterday (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/world/africa/17diplo.html) that the U.S. is considering normalizing relations with the Sudanese government. Let me paste the key part of this article:

"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 in its Darfur region, says a document outlining the American negotiating position for talks with Sudan that began Wednesday.

Sudan has already promised to let United Nations peacekeepers operate within its borders, and human rights advocates and others say it would be a mistake for the United States to offer any new incentives until Sudan carries out that and other pledges.

“Given the fact that Khartoum has been involved in negotiations repeatedly over the years regarding Darfur and the comprehensive peace agreements and has signed documents and consistently failed to implement what they’ve signed, why are we discussing normalization with them?” said Roger Winter, a former Sudan negotiator at the State Department. Richard Williamson, the United States envoy to Sudan, is in Rome for the talks with Sudanese officials. The broad thrust of the American position has been known, but the negotiating papers provide new details about the positions staked out by each side as they try to resolve differences over Darfur."

The U.S. shouldn't be normalizing ties with the GoS when it well knows that it's only concerted pressure -- in the form of targeted multilateral sanctions and a credible military threat -- that will get Khartoum to stop its genocide. -N