Obama in Cairo: Darfur a Passing Mention, or a True Commitment?

President Obama delivered his speech in Cairo this morning --- with one passing reference to Darfur, but with a variety of other statements and observations applicable to the regime in Sudan. The Darfur reference came close to the beginning of the speech, shortly following remarks on the need for both the US and the Muslim world to dispel misperceptions about each other, and amid observations of the interconnectedness of world affairs:

"For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations. When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. And when innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience. That is what it means to share this world in the 21st century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings

This is a difficult responsibility to embrace. For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes subjugating one another to serve their own interests. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners of it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; progress must be shared."

The mention of Bosnia with Darfur is, of course, somewhat strategic: The victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia were Muslims, just as they are in Darfur.

So while the mention of Darfur is welcome, my fear is that it was thrown in to placate constituents back home. However, the violent authoritarian regime in Khartoum represents a confluence of the characteristics Obama touched on today: It's an intolerant government that seeks power and enrichment over the will and needs of its own people, and manipulates hateful propaganda and mistrust to its benefit.

The next few months will show whether or not Obama's reference to Darfur was a mere token, if he will sideline Darfur so as not to confront the many sources of tension listed in his speech today, or if he's serious about seeking to overcome them and forge alliances with the Arab world, and the Muslim world more broadly, to push for peace in Sudan.