Damanga shocked by General Gration’s stance on Darfur

July 31, 2009

During his testimony before a special hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the American Special Envoy to Sudan asserted that “there’s significant difference between what happened in 2004 and 2003, which was characterized as a genocide, and what is happening today.”

While he called the Administration’s equivocation on the use of the term ‘genocide’ an “honest debate,” Damanga knows that this debate ignores the on-going targeting of non-Arab civilians in Darfur in an attempt to appease the regime in Khartoum – a regime that continues to terrorize, humiliate and destroy its own people.  It is this attitude and misjudgement that impedes bringing justice and peace to Darfur.

Unfortunately, Gen. Gration maintains that “only a negotiated political settlement between the government of Sudan and all parties to the conflict will bring sustainable peace to Darfur” and he continues to balk from any action that could potentially alienate the criminals in Khartoum.  As such, he believes that sanctions against the Bashir regime are counterproductive.

Damanga asks why the Obama Administration continues to treat the regime in Khartoum as a legitimate government.  al-Bashir came to power by a coup and his regime is responsible for the violent deaths of three million people during the conflict between the North and South Sudan and the genocide in Darfur. The Khartoum regime has never respected any agreement nor has it upheld any of its obligations.  The regime, time and time again, has stood in the way of the international community’s efforts to bring relief to the suffering in Sudan.  Criminals should be treated as criminals and held accountable for their actions before we begin considering the lifting of sanctions and the normalization of the relationship between Sudan and the United States.  Leaders of the ‘free’ world must not abide more empty promises from Khartoum.

Damanga commends the position of Reps. Donald Payne, Diane Watson, Keith Ellison and Christopher Smith and Sen. Russell Feingold who refuse to be swayed by ‘overstated’ reports of Khartoum’s cooperation.  We are encouraged by all those who continue to demand the protection of the Darfuri people.