Finally Fidelity...Now Who?

Well, Fidelity finally decided to divest out of dealings with Sudan. I must extend to them my applause as it is a great first step for the major investment company. Hopefully, other major companies will take a page out of Fidelity's book and divest more from companies who have their hands in Darfur. Now that we have gotten Fidelity to divest, who should we focus our attention on now? It has recently come to my attention that the University of Chicago is refusing to divest out of PetroChina, citing "the protection of academic freedom". Aside from pressuring the US government itself, perhaps we should focus on universities. The University of Chicago is an elite university, and what sort of example does that set for the rest of the academic world if they don't divest? Universities hold just as many dealings as big companies do, so let's raise our voices to them. Many students are involved in the Darfur issue and urging their university to take their dealings out of any company that funds the genocidal government of Sudan is certainly something many students would rally behind. So, in conclusion, be a conscience citizen or student and urge your local university to divest.

On Our Toes

Sudan's green light for only part of the peacekeeping force is too little, too late, and is aimed only at defusing international pressure and heading off sanctions. Governments should keep the focus on the full international force, which could really help to protect civilians in Darfur.
--Peter Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch

Just a few weeks ago we celebrated Sudan’s decision to allow part of the international peacekeeping force to operate within its borders. We also have heard that China has made diplomatic efforts to influence the Sudanese government on behalf of the people of Darfur.

However, our history with the Bashir government should keep us on our toes. The international community’s relationship with Sudan has followed a three steps back, one step forward model.

Bashir makes a lukewarm promise, then reneges on his promise, and we beg him to reconsider, and meanwhile people die.

We need to stay vigilant, and continue to advocate for a full international peacekeeping force. As the global days for Darfur continue, let’s keep our activist minds sharp on behalf of our Darfurian brothers and sisters!

ENOUGH

The Center for American Progress and International Crisis Group are collaborating in a new initiative,ENOUGH: the Project to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities. The first in the series, titled "The Answer To Darfur" and featuring Gayle Smith (Center for American Progress), John Prendergast (ICG), and Colin Thomas-Jensen (ICG), calls for a "coherent and synchronized strategy." How can nations overcome global complacency to reach such a strategy? The featured speakers propose a "3P" Strategy: Protect the Vulnerable, Punish the Perpetrators, and Promote Peace.

"Protect the Vulnerable" is a common goal of Darfur activists. Punishing the perpetrators, one might argue, is important only after the people have been protected. Promoting Peace. What exactly does this mean? Weren't we promoting peace while thrusting the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006 at noncomplying rebels? Is this the same kind of peace promoted in 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the North and South? While both sides did sign, whether progress is being made is questionable, and in 2009, the South will have the opportunity to vote for secession.

Prendergast and Jensen recognize that long-term peace requires a sustainable, inclusive political process. To act consistently with our favorite phrase "Never Again," we must consider human rights first, of course. This must be followed up, however, with sound, long-term action to establish stability. Herein lies the real challenge.

Two Years Later: Have Promises Materialized in Southern Sudan?

According to UNHCR, the death of Dr. John Garang, a Sudan People’s Liberation Army leader and the newly appointed Vice President of South Sudan in early 2005, did not compromise the peace of the region. Only months before Garang’s death, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed on January 9, 2005, terminating Sudan’s Civil War of more than twenty years. The country expects to vote on a referendum in 2011 to determine South Sudan’s autonomy.

Meanwhile, according to the Sudan Tribune, as Southern Sudanese approach the two year anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, they are skeptical of the progress that has been made. Alleged corruption looms, while one third of the budget, according to the Tribune, is unaccounted for. While a main tenet of the war was to loosen the grip of Northern Islamists on the diverse tribes in South Sudan, Southerners regard another aspect of the war as equally important. They cite social, political, and economic injustice as their reason for fighting.

Two years later, the people of Sudan remember Dr. Garang’s pledge to create self-sufficient households with the advancement of agriculture, to build roads within the first eighteen months of governing, and to funnel oil profits through the people, eliminating an elite government party. Yet these promises have not become realities, in the eyes of the people, who are asking their government to explain just what has been done and where the money has gone. While the government appears to have forgotten Dr. Garang’s vision for South Sudan, the Tribune asserts, the people will hold their leaders accountable for ending the injustice they fought for twenty-two years to defeat.

If the Government of South Sudan is viewed as reinforcing the economic marginalization of the people, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement will be unable to sustain peace and stability in the region. In just four years, Southerners will vote on whether to secede from Sudan, a situation that already threatens to further unravel unrest in the country. The Government of South Sudan’s inability to deliver tangible results to its people can only further undermine this temporary façade of peace.

Introduction: Hello! My name is Elizabeth Milligan, and I am a junior at Lake Forest College in Chicago, where I am most active in STAND, Hillel, and theater. This fall, I spent a semester in Washington, DC in a foreign policy program at American University and completed an internship with the Committee on Conscience. My topic of focus on this blog will be Southern Sudan.