As Congress prepares to return to Washington next week, we at Save Darfur are looking ahead at the coming U.S. transition, as well as the opportunity for real change in Sudan that will be brought on not only by the advent of the Obama administration and the 111th Congress, but also by the expected issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court.  All of these game-changing events are expected in January, which means that President Obama’s first breaking international crisis could easily erupt in Khartoum.

It is critical that over the next 3 months, the Bush administration, the Obama transition team, and Congress pay attention to the situation in Sudan, and that the Obama team craft a comprehensive plan for solving the crisis in Darfur within the context of a holistic approach to Sudan.  This plan must begin with an examination of how to take full advantage of the internal Sudanese flux created by the coming ICC indictment and create a lasting peace out of potential chaos.

For any solution to work and any breakthrough to last, the plan must also include the other necessary pieces of the conflict resolution puzzle, such as improving civilian protection, continuing the flow of humanitarian aid, building a stronger and better coordinated multilateral diplomatic effort, planning for long-term development, supporting democracy and governance efforts, holding the perpetrators of genocide accountable, and compelling Sudanese and rebel cooperation via an array of sticks and carrots.

We have therefore prepared a new paper, Saving Darfur: A Plan for the Obama Administration which suggests a framework for such a plan.  We will also be periodically publishing additional information on specific points within the framework in the coming weeks.

These papers are intended to provide information to and spark a conversation amongst Congress and the transition team as to how Darfur and Sudan will be addressed in the coming year.  Save Darfur has also begun a campaign to mobilize our 1 million U.S. activists as well as our 180 coalition members to ensure that the requisite political will needed to act is at hand, and to make clear that a large and growing constituency of Americans expect a full court press from Congress and the Obama administration on Darfur in the new year.

As Congress prepares to adjourn prior to the November elections, the Senate has passed an important resolution, S. Res. 684, which demonstrates the continued resolve of Congress to ensure that the U.S. Government remains dedicated to ending the conflict in Darfur. The resolution reaffirms Congress’ 2004 finding that genocide is occurring in Darfur, and highlights the need for a just and inclusive peace process, the full deployment of UNAMID, and the free flow of humanitarian aid.

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“It started firing. People began screaming. The shooting continued until the houses were burning. The woman was burned on her legs. Her body had a bullet hole that went from her chest to her back.” Such statements have tragically become routine since the start of the Darfur genocide, but what makes this quote of particular note is that the “it” was identified as a Chinese-made anti-aircraft gun mounted on the back of a Dong Feng truck, also manufactured in China.

Despite a UN embargo on arms transfers into Darfur, several countries, including Russia and China, continue to funnel weapons to the Sudanese government by exploiting a loophole. The existing embargo allows weapons sales to the Government of Sudan provided they are not bound for Darfur — but the Sudanese government has publicly stated that it has every right to transfer military equipment wherever it wishes.

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Posted on behalf of Congressman Jim McGovern (MA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

As millions of people around the world get ready to tune in and watch the Olympics in Beijing, they are probably unaware that their TVs likely share a common trait with the weapons used to kill up to 400,000 people in Darfur: they bear the stamp “Made in China.”

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On June 30, President Bush signed into law H.R. 2642, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008. Thanks to the strong efforts of Save Darfur activists, as well as the leadership of Darfur champions within Congress and the Administration who heard their call, the bill includes over $800 million in funding within six different accounts to support critical Darfur programs.

The bill provides more than $400 million for the United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which not only fulfills the U.S.’s basic commitment to the force, but also provides additional tens of millions for the training and equipping of UNAMID troops and police to help speed up deployment. The bill also includes more than $420 million in emergency food and disaster relief, a significant portion of which will go to support Darfur’s vulnerable civilians. (more…)