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Posts Tagged Scott Gration

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A Hollow Framework

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

The big news as I arrived in Khartoum from Darfur earlier this week was of a “framework agreement” and ceasefire between the Sudanese government and one rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The agreement was formally signed on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.  Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir was there, as was JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim, Chadian President Idriss Deby and a host of envoys, including U.S. Special Envoy Scott Gration.  The agreement creates a “framework” for negotiations – basically a list of items to be discussed and agreed upon.

Notably, and worryingly, justice and accountability – which so many IDPs told us was important to them – are not on the list.  It also establishes a temporary ceasefire, although as with the whole framework, the details are still to be worked out.  A final agreement is supposed to be completed by March 15, a hugely ambitious – if not unrealistic – target.

Almost exactly a year ago, Khartoum and JEM signed another “framework agreement” and ceasefire in Doha.   It went nowhere, as have a sheaf of other agreements in recent years.  So there is ample reason to be skeptical.  Still, this year’s framework may be more robust.  It seems to have high level buy-in from Bashir and JEM leader Ibrahim.  And both sides have near term incentives to follow through.  Bashir  is running on a peace platform (“Symbol of Unity and Peace” says one of his omnipresent campaign posters) in the April elections.  JEM is pressed as a result of the recent peace agreement between Khartoum and Chad.  In fact, the Sudan-Chad rapprochement caused JEM to move more of its forces into northwestern Darfur, leading to a new round of fighting that promised to be devastating for the civilian population in that area.

To that extent, the ceasefire – if it holds – is definitely a good thing.  But although a step forward, a lasting ceasefire – even a final agreement – between JEM and the government is far from a final resolution of the Darfur crisis.  JEM is militarily the strongest rebel group, but it has a narrow constituency within Darfur.  Giving its officials a handful of government posts would scarcely begin to address the underlying problem of marginalization and exclusion.

Bashir traveled to Darfur after the framework agreement was signed and declared, “The crisis in Darfur is finished; the war in Darfur is over. Darfur is now at peace.” What we saw and heard in Darfur tells us this is plainly not true. The problem of insecurity is cited widely by internally displaced persons, UN officials, civil society leaders and others as one of the principal impediments to peace.  This day to day insecurity is felt all over Darfur, impedes a durable end to displacement and restricts the presence of NGOs and UN agencies in the “deep field.”

(more…)

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Election Delusions at Foggy Bottom

Friday, January 8th, 2010
Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Gration speak to the press on January 8, 2009

Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Gration
speak to the press on January 8, 2009

Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Special Envoy for Sudan Scott Gration held a press conference marking the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan.  The Secretary quite rightly noted the increasing levels of violence in South Sudan and the fact that the situation in Darfur remains dire.

Additionally, for the first time publicly, the Secretary demanded that President Omar al-Bashir’s National Congress Party “use its executive order to suspend elements of the national security and public order laws that are incompatible with free and fair elections.”  She added that “there must be no efforts to restrict freedom of speech and assembly.” Her emphasis on these onerous laws which have prevented the proper political environment for free and fair elections from being created in Sudan is welcome and long-overdue.

Unfortunately, time has run out.  We are now a slim three months away from the scheduled national election date of April 11th.  Last minute changes (and make no mistake about it, we are now in the last minutes of the election preparation process) to the national security and public order laws will be insufficient.  The proper electoral environment and freedoms must be created at least 90 days prior to any election – and unfortunately we are now inside that 90 day window.  As a result, we do not believe that credible elections can take place in April.

Unfortunately, it appears as though the Obama administration still believes they can.  At the press conference, Special Envoy Gration said that he “believe[s] that [the administration] is working hard on processes that will allow credible elections to be had in April.”  Given the oppressive security environment throughout Sudan and, in particular, the completely insecure status of Darfur, we do not see how credible elections will be possible in April.  The entire process has been tainted by government interference and restrictions on freedoms of assembly and speech.  The arrest of top opposition leaders and journalists last month by the NCP proves the point.

The administration must quickly recognize that free and fair elections are not possible in Sudan in April and be forthright about it.  President al-Bashir’s goal is to legitimize his regime in the eyes of the world, and particularly in the eyes of the Arab League and African Union.  This cannot be permitted and the United States must not delude itself or the international community into believing that the April election will be anything other than fraudulent.  The time to work on “processes that will allow credible elections…” is over.  The election campaign has begun and last minute superficial legal changes will not change the result.  Bashir will win, and democracy will lose.  It’s time for the U.S. to fess up to that inconvenient truth.

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Carter Center’s Wake-Up Call on Elections in Sudan

Friday, December 18th, 2009
Sudanese women registering to vote

Sudanese women registering to vote

A new report by the Carter Center on Sudan’s elections expresses grave concerns about recent security crackdowns. The report should serve as an urgent wake-up call for the international community that the necessary conditions for free and fair elections currently do not exist in Sudan. Instead, the lack of political freedoms and the gross registration violations, especially in Darfur, shed clear light on the ruling National Congress Party’s intentions for these elections: a fraudulent process designed to legitimize its undemocratic, repressive and genocidal rule.

Jerry Fowler, Save Darfur’s president, stated in a press release today:

The Carter Center’s report came as no surprise. Sudanese civil society and opposition leaders for the last two weeks have been speaking out loudly about the gross human rights and elections violations of a repressive regime. By and large, the international community has remained quiet while these activists and opposition leaders have been threatened, harassed, and beaten throughout Sudan.  The situation, as the Carter Center report acknowledges, is even more severe in Darfur. The heavy military and intelligence presence at the registration sites and the lack of even the basic freedoms make it impossible for the people of Darfur to participate in a credible elections process.

Given the alarming nature of the Carter Center’s report, Save Darfur has urged the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, General Scott Gration, to work with his international counterparts and demand answers from the Sudanese government on the following issues:

Lack of Basic Freedoms. Several recent incidents – such as the crackdown on protesters in Khartoum and the beating and detentions of journalists – have clearly demonstrated the lack of political rights and freedoms in Sudan necessary for free and fair elections.

The Carter Center reported:

  • [T]he Center…expressed serious concerns about incidents that undermine political rights and fundamental freedoms in Sudan, including: arrests, detention and harassment of civil society and political party members for constitutional and peaceful activity in Khartoum and other cities by security services, and attacks on the National Congress Party (NCP) premises in Wau and Rumbek. (more…)
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Sudan Hearing on Capitol Hill TODAY

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

This morning U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration is testifying before the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health. We will be live-tweeting the hearing, “A Review of the Administration’s New Policy and A Situation Update,” this morning so you can see what’s happening on Capitol Hill.

Update: The hearing has concluded. You can see our live-tweets after the jump or read a complete write-up of the hearing on our blog.

(more…)

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Ask U.S. Webcast

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

On Tuesday, November 11th Save Darfur Coalition President Jerry Fowler and STAND Student Director Layla Amjadi sat down for an hour long discussion with Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration and NSC Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs Samantha Power about the Obama Administration’s plan for promoting peace in Sudan. Jerry and Layla asked questions submitted by hundreds of activists from around the country. Take a look:


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Live Webcast from the White House Today at 3:00 PM (EST) — UPDATED

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Update: The webcast has concluded. We will put up video from the event and a transcript as soon as the White House makes them available. In the meantime, check out these behind-the-scenes photos from Thursday’s webcast:



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Now We Need Presidential Leadership

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Cross posted from the Huffington Post

Obama_Gration_Front_500Now that the dust is settling from the release of the Obama administration’s Sudan strategy we can begin to assess the landscape. The greatest virtues of the strategy are that it lays out the path the administration intends to follow and provides a basis for the advocacy community to hold the administration accountable. At the same time, it makes clear that the U.S. policy can take different paths depending on the actions of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and other actors. Although it provides principles for deciding what path to take, the decisions themselves have yet to be made. Our advocacy role will be to push President Obama and the administration to make the right decisions.

The basic guidelines for deciding which path to take seem right. In U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice’s words, the focus will be on “concrete and tangible progress” before any incentives are provided. Moreover, the new U.S. policy provides clarity that not only will there be no rewards for the status quo, there will be consequences if it does not change for the better.

A huge open question is how engaged the President will be in implementing this new policy. His absence from the public roll-out was not encouraging. It sent a message to Khartoum and key heads of state around the world that he has delegated Sudan to others and that he does not plan to personally lead the effort to end the crisis in Darfur and promote peace in all of Sudan. A critical test of his commitment will be whether he makes Sudan a priority when he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao in a few weeks. I for one will be watching closely, and calling him out if he doesn’t.

As for the new strategy, one thing we should be clear about is that the issue has never been engagement or non-engagement with the NCP. Rather, it has been the terms of engagement, which for nine months have been totally unclear, even worrisome. Now the terms are clearer on paper; we will have to see in practice.

(more…)

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Stronger Humanitarian Plan Needed in US Policy Review

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

The long awaited release of the new US policy on Sudan outlines several key points that lay the framework for lasting peace there. With a focus on a comprehensive approach to Sudan, the US administration recognizes the importance that peace in Darfur, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and border safety play in establishing and maintaining stability for the people of Sudan. It is refreshing to see a US strategy that takes a holistic approach, recognizing the commitment made to all Sudanese people and the strength of US leadership in the international community.

In Refugees International’s October 19 press release, Acting President Joel Charny highlighted the strengths of the new US policy. It also reminded us that while we strive for effective multilateral engagement, we cannot forget the plight of those that have already been victimized by the conflict, for whom achieving justice is one of our biggest responsibilities to the people of Sudan.

It is unfortunate that the policy failed to mention US support in improving the conditions of displaced Sudanese people. Earlier this year when Refugees International traveled to south Sudan, we documented the grave conditions throughout the south and the severe lack of access to basic services. Instead of focusing on politically motivated returns (as the governments of Sudan have done), it is critical that the US support reintegration projects for those who have already returned home, but are struggling to rebuild their communities. Safe and consistent access to water, education, health services, and livelihood opportunities will help mitigate tensions that are steadily on the rise. This is a crucial link to security in Sudan that the US policy did not address.

It is also worthy to note the US has proactively sought open dialogue with all of the various local and national stakeholders in Sudan. This is an admirable venture on the part of the administration and reminds us of the importance of community based reconciliation and justice. It is also comforting to know that the US will hold Sudan to an “assessment of progress [that is] based on verifiable changes in conditions on the ground.” Likewise, it is critical that those changes in conditions be linked to humanitarian access and the protection of humanitarian aid workers. We can not forget the international and national relief agencies that were banned and expelled from Darfur in response to the International Criminal Court decision to indict President al-Bashir. The operating environment in Darfur remains hostile and vulnerable civilians are left to pay the price. The Sudanese government must show a real commitment to eliminating bureaucratic impediments and allowing and facilitating access to needed services throughout Sudan.

I hope that the Obama administration truly makes Sudan a priority on its agenda and not only takes advantage of the anticipation surrounding the 2010 election and 2011 referendum. A long term investment in rebuilding Sudan is necessary and the United States must step up and lead the way for the international community.

Limnyuy Konglim is an Advocacy Associate with Refugees International.

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Something For Everyone: Why Implementation Matters

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009


In an interesting development yesterday, all the major political groups in Sudan showed a moment of “rare unity in welcoming [the] US policy.” The Save Darfur Coalition and other groups also welcomed the administration’s emphasis on a balance of incentives and disincentives for peacemaking in Sudan – but stressed that implementation would be critical to the policy’s success.

This unusual moment of cohesion demonstrates why effective implementation of the American plan will be paramount in achieving the objectives set out in the policy review. When all sides praise your plan, despite having contradictory interests and motives, you must realize that your work has only just begun.  What will shape these actors long-term interpretation of the Obama administration’s policy are not the principles or strategies found in the review, but the very next steps in the engagement process.

(more…)

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Energy and Purpose

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Yesterday the Obama Administration released their long awaited policy towards Sudan and acheiving peace there and in Darfur. As exciting as it is to finally have a policy…anything from the administration regarding Darfur and Sudan, one cannot help but be a little cautious.

The situation in Darfur is far from resolved and as Secretary Clinton put it earlier today, “the people of Darfur continue to live in unconscionable and unacceptable conditions.” It is that knowledge that one hopes will serve as the guiding light for President Obama, the State Department, and Special Envoy Scott Gration regarding policy decisions.

From Save Darfur Coalition President Jerry Fowler:

“Several things are critical for effective implementation. First, incentives should not be provided before there is concrete and lasting progress on resolving Sudan’s interlocking crises, opening political space for Sudanese to determine their future and protecting human rights. Second, the U.S. must generate multilateral support for both incentives and pressures. And third, we need to see substantial personal involvement from President Obama – for example, he must make Sudan a priority when he goes to China next month.”

Equally, President Obama made clear that he was committed to bringing peace, justice and stability to the region. From the official White House release:

“Our conscience and our interests in peace and security call upon the United States and the international community to act with a sense of urgency and purpose.”

It will, Mr. President, take just that sort of leadership and effort on behalf of you and your administration. This crisis doesn’t call for a referee or a foreman, but a leader. You, as citizen and Senator were just that leader. Now we ask that you again, as President, speak for those that “live in unconscionable and unacceptable conditions”, and help bring stability to the people of Darfur and Sudan.

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