A few days ago, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote a blog post discussing his perspective of the United States’ handling of the Darfur crisis. Since 2004, Mr. Kristof’s articles have concentrated on Darfur, a region he has visited ten times. The recent lack of attention focused on solutions in Darfur is becoming more troubling. In May, the United Nations reported that there were approximately 600 deaths in Darfur. In his blog, Kristof analyzes the Obama administration’s handling of the combined challenges of Darfur and South Sudan and encourages a more comprehensive approach, arguing that the problems of one cannot be resolved without addressing the issues of the other.
In his blog, he states that the United States, Britain, and other countries are shaping their actions around avoiding war in South Sudan, which could slide back into conflict if the referendum on secession, scheduled for January 2011, goes awry. As the previous civil war between the north and the south lasted two decades and led to some 2 million deaths, preventing renewed violence is certainly crucial. However, while it is necessary to focus attention on the referendum to ensure violence between the north and south does not break out, Darfur cannot be put aside. Kristof specifically illustrates this challenge, explaining that “the problem is that Darfur and southern Sudan are related problems, and ignoring Darfur doesn’t diminish the risks in southern Sudan. On the contrary, it increases them.”
Kristof characterizes the Obama administration’s handling of the situation as appeasing the Sudanese government, which he argues is not the same as constructively engaging it. He concludes with the analysis that this strategy will not help and, on the contrary, could be profoundly dangerous for Sudan.
The Save Darfur Coalition invites you to read his full blog piece.
