Prospects for peace in Sudan
From Zain Verjee
CNN
(CNN) -- The war in southern Sudan has gone on for 21 years -- and caused the deaths of some 2 million people. Now it may finally be over. But will that help end another war in western Sudan -- one that has killed up to 70,000 and displaced many more in the past two years?
The United States sees a window of opportunity:
"We can use the conclusion of the north-south peace process as a springboard to end the suffering in Darfur," says John Danforth, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Sudanese officials agree with Washington.
"It will serve as a model to tackle and to redress grievances in other parts of the country, definitely, yes," says the Sudanese ambassador to the United States, H.E. Khidir Haroun Ahmed.
Meeting in Nairobi earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council dangled the prospect of aid and reconstruction money if the government and southern rebels clinch a deal by year's end.
Critics say the council should be tougher on Sudan because of ongoing atrocities in Darfur, including the mass rapes and murders allegedly carried out by government-backed militias.
"It's been again more and more promises to help bring about an end to the crisis but those promises are really empty words at the moment, as innocent people continue to die," says Emira Woods, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus, a U.S.-based foreign policy think tank.
Some observers say the Security Council's approach doesn't work.
"Every time we have offered incentives to the government of Sudan, they've pocketed those incentives and continued on with their policies," says John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group, an independent non-profit crisis resolution organization based in Belgium.
Some observers say it's time to wield a big stick in the form of sanctions like an arms embargo, a freeze on assets, and travel bans on specific government officials suspected of war crimes.
Khartoum says that the non governmental organizations prefer to dwell on the negatives -- and it's time to turn the page:
"People should give us a chance. We also respect so much our commitments with respect to the agreement -- all our ceasefires, cessation of violence with the south for the last 18 months. That should serve as the testimony that this government is trustworthy," says Ahmed.
Khartoum insists the United Nations should actually be wielding a stick against the two rebel groups operating in Darfur.
"If the United Nations, the international community, would pressure these two groups enough, we would have peace in the entire region by tomorrow," Ahmed says.
But while diplomats and non governmental organizations trade blame, 1.5 million people in Darfur remain homeless and live under the constant threat of attack.
