Top Ten Statements on Darfur in 2008

Darfur was big news in 2008, from the focus on China and the Olympics, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations, to the U.S. presidential elections, and beyond. Below is a round-up of the top ten most important statements on developments in Darfur in 2008.

Follow the link for the full list, but in case your attention span is as short as mine on this last day of 2008, here's a summary:

10. Sudanese ambassador to the UN, threatening that a failure to suspend the ICC investigation into President Omar al-Bashir would "open the gates of hell in Sudan and the rest of the region."

9. Eric Reeves in the Christian Science Monitor, arguing that we can't allow ourselves to be bullied like that.

8. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's response to said-bullying.

7.  Nicholas Kristof's thoughts on the possible indictment.

6. Ana Uzelac's article on the ICC in the Christian Science Monitor.

5. A coalition report on Khartoum's disingenuous PR stunts.

4. Save Darfur Coalition president Jerry Fowler's statement on a "peace surge" for Sudan.

3. Kristof again, calling for tougher action against Khartoum.

2. The recommendations of the Genocide Prevention Task Force.

1. The commitment by U.S. presidential candidates to show "unstinting resolve" to end the genocide in Darfur.

In July, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), submitted an application to a three judge panel to indict Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The following items on the list related to the political fallout of the prosecutor's move, and its implications for the future not only of Darfur, but of genocide prevention as a whole.

10. Speaking on his country's effort to suspend the ICC investigation against President al-Bashir, Sudan's Ambassador to the UN, Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem, threatened that a failure to do so would "open the gates of hell in Sudan and the rest of the region."

To openly threaten both the people of Sudan and the international community is nothing short of ballsy---and is very revealing of Khartoum's preferred method of governance, which prompted the investigations in the first place.

9. In an article in the Christian Science Monitor, scholar Eric Reeves argued that the international community should not allow itself to be bullied Khartoum's unprecedented threats against peacekeepers and aid workers, and urged the newly-elected Obama Administration to take an early lead on using the ICC to exert pressure on Khartoum:

"The Obama administration can take a key leadership role right now, beginning with unambiguous support for the international legitimacy of the ICC. The administration in waiting should also commit to the provision of critical helicopter and ground transport, the lack of which has so far crippled UNAMID.

The European Union must be pressed vigorously to impose monetary sanctions. Heavy diplomatic pressure must be exerted on China, Sudan's most powerful ally, to condemn all threats against the UN.

And the US must be sharply mindful of Khartoum's evasive penchant for engaging multiple diplomatic interlocutors: With its regional and global allies, the US must work to compel the regime to engage with a single, credible peace forum that recognizes not only Darfuri combatants and civil society leadership, but the obligations of international law.

To do less is to acquiesce to the threats of a brutal regime whose responsibility for atrocity crimes throughout Darfur is beyond dispute."

8. Ocampo's application to the ICC for Bashir's arrest warrant was itself a monumental event, and it marks the first time a prosecutor has sought such charges against a sitting head of state. Ocampo immediately came under fire from Khartoum and its allies, as mentioned above. Responding to the Sudanese threat against him, Ocampo told CNN:

"I have a responsibility to the security council -- the security council referred the case to me and requested me to investigate. After 3 years I have strong evidence that al Bashir is committing a genocide -- I cannot be blackmailed -- I cannot yield. Silence never helped the victims. Silence helped the perpetrators. The prosecutor should not be silent."

7. New York Times Columnist and human rights activist-extraordinaire Nicholas Kristof responded to criticisms of the ICC from another sector---humanitarian aid workers, and a variety of politicians concerned about retaliation by Khartoum. Writing that "instead of wringing our hands, we should be applauding," Kristof argues that, after allowing Bashir to commit atrocities with impunity, "we have a stick that has Mr. Bashir alarmed, and that gives us leverage." Noting the historical importance of the occasion, he continues,

"A final thought: this prosecution for genocide offers a hint of historical progress.

Throughout most of history, genocide was simply what happened to losers in a conflict. In the Bible, if we are to take it literally, there are cases when God gives a nod to genocide ("Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation - men, women, children, babies"). Such divinely sanctioned ethnic cleansing reflected the norms of war for much of history, finally beginning to yield in the last couple of centuries.

Now this prosecutor's pursuit of a head of state suggests that human standards truly are changing - and that is a prerequisite for ending genocide itself."

6. Also in the midst of the Article 16 debate---referencing the clause of the ICC's Rome Statute that allows the UN Security Council to suspend indictment proceedings---Ana Uzelac wrote in the Christian Science Monitor that Bashir's many threats paled in comparison to the ultimate threat to peace and stability in Sudan---Mr. Bashir, himself:

"Bashir is clearly doing his best to convince the world that the call for his arrest will indeed collide with peace in Darfur. He recently sent a diplomatic mission to Security Council member states, promising renewed peace and possible deals. Back home, his troops attacked Darfur's largest refugee camp, killing dozens.

In fact, the most serious threat to peace and security in Sudan is Bashir himself. His regime has the power to make the Darfurians' life worse yet. It can also endanger international peacekeepers and humanitarian workers, upset the fragile peace in the south, and continue to destabilize its neighbor, Chad. In the past, Khartoum has often used its power in unsettling ways - and many believe that it would not hesitate to do it again."

She goes on to argue that "pulling the brakes on justice" before Bashir had made meaningful moves towards peace---which she doubts he would be willing to accept---would not only undermine the ICC, but the credibility of the entire UN system.

5. In its international PR blitz following the ICC indictment, Khartoum made several very public moves to convince the international community that it was peace-minded, including the convening of a so-called national "People's Initiative" in October and the declaration of an unconditional ceasefire in November. These efforts have thus far proved to be nothing more than grandiose political theater, and a group of human rights NGOs called Bashir out with a damning report released in early December, titled Rhetoric vs. Reality:

"The international community has an unfortunate record of judging Sudan by its words rather than its actions," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Programme at Human Rights Watch, in a statement announcing the report.

"The Security Council must not allow itself to be hoodwinked by Khartoum into handing al-Bashir impunity in return for empty promises," he said.

The top four items on the list all relate to the incoming Obama Administration---and the real chance, for the first time in years, to ratchet up the pressure on Khartoum and bring this awful conflict to an end.

4. Just after Obama's election, The ENOUGH Project, the Save Darfur Coalition, and the Genocide Intervention Network were ready with a list of policy recommendations for a "peace surge" in Sudan. Jerry Fowler, the president of the Save Darfur Coalition, said:

"It is an outrage that the world's leading powers can muster only 54 percent of a peacekeeping mission that they themselves authorized 17 months ago. While heads of state profess their sympathies for, and solidarity with, the Darfuri people they follow-up heartfelt talk with half-hearted actions. Members of the U.N. Security Council and their collective 54 percent effort deserve at best an "Incomplete" and are on a path for an "F," as lasting peace, justice and security continue to elude the Darfuri people.

This is the challenge President-elect Obama will inherit - and one he must be prepared to confront from day one of his administration. We and others urge him to end the crisis instead of merely managing it by leading a ‘peace surge' for Darfur. President-elect Obama must seize this opportunity by rallying key powers to devote full-time attention and resources to ending the continued hostilities, violence and suffering once and for all. Fifty-four percent efforts won't be good enough - he must lead the world in devoting a 100 percent effort to resolve this crisis."

3. Making another appearance on this list, Nick Kristof, in a recent op-ed in the New York Times, called for the reconsideration of tougher action against Khartoum, including a communications jam, a port blockade, and the targeted destruction of the Sudanese Air Force. Noting that while such measures are harsh and will likely come with repercussions---and were accordingly rejected by Bush Administration officials---Kristof wrote:

"The naysayers' objection was simple: Those are incredibly serious steps, with grave repercussions. They're right. But then again, genocide is pretty serious, too."

2. In another sign that politicians are finally waking up to the importance of an anti-genocide policy, the Genocide Prevention Task Force released its final report in early December, which includes a detailed list of policy recommendations that would integrate genocide prevention into the American foreign policy framework.

A key premise of the report, which provides a blueprint for U.S. policymakers, is the recognition of the fundamental need for sustained, high-level leadership in pursuit of the goals of genocide and mass atrocity prevention:

"Nothing is more central to preventing genocide than leadership--from the president, Congress, and the American people. In subsequent chapters of this report we propose numerous specific ideas that we believe will enhance U.S. government capacity to prevent genocide. But none of these will be realized without the best kind fo American leadership: farsighted, energetic, and optimistic, eschewing partisanship to rally our government and people to a great calling."

1. The most important---but also perhaps the most precarious---statement made on Darfur in 2008, in my humble opinion, is the strong commitment made by U.S. presidential candidates, and reiterated by now President-Elect Barack Obama, to to end the genocide in Darfur. In a statement published in the New York Times in May, then-candidates Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Barack Obama vowed "unstinting resolve" to finally bring the genocide to an end:

"Today, we wish to make clear to the Sudanese government that on this moral issue of tremendous importance, there is no divide between us. We stand united and demand that the genocide and violence in Darfur be brought to an end and that the CPA be fully implemented. Even as we campaign for the presidency, we will use our standing as Senators to press for the steps needed to ensure that the United States honors, in practice and in deed, its commitment to the cause of peace and protection of Darfur's innocent citizenry. We will continue to keep a close watch on events in Sudan and speak out for its marginalized peoples. It would be a huge mistake for the Khartoum regime to think that it will benefit by running out the clock on the Bush Administration. If peace and security for the people of Sudan are not in place when one of us is inaugurated as President on January 20, 2009, we pledge that the next Administration will pursue these goals with unstinting resolve."

This statement was a huge victory for the activist community, but there's never time for resting on laurels. As we are all well aware, soon-to-be President Obama will have quite a lot on his plate once he's sworn in, and it's up to us to make sure that Darfur remains a top foreign policy priority of the new administration. Obama has already made significant moves to uphold this commitment, namely by appointing Susan Rice as his Ambassador to the UN and Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State, but we cannot sit back and assume they will take care of it.

The moment---the opportunity---is here. Carpe diem, folks.

[Photo: This Sudanese girl is one of the estimated 2.4 million people who have been displaced by the conflict in Darfur. She is pictured with her sister's arms around her at Abushouk camp near El Fasher, the capital of Darfur state. (Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters)]