U.N. Panel of Experts Reveals Gold Smuggling and Cluster Bombs in Darfur
Last week, the U.N. Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Sudan raised serious concerns over gold smuggling in Darfur. The panel presented its annual report to the Sudan Sanctions Committee in December 2015, but the publication of this report remains blocked due to objections from Russia. Russian Deputy Ambassador Petr Iliichev stated that the panel’s mandate does not include the monitoring of natural resources, noting, “the experts are not behaving like they are required to.” Further, the Russian government declared that it would only allow the publication of the report once the “most controversial paragraphs are edited out,” as it ...
Enough Project Condemns “Smokescreen” Referendum on Darfur
The Enough Project is condemning the Government of Sudan’s referendum over the political future of Darfur, which began today. The referendum is scheduled to run through April 13 ...
Surprisingly tough UN resolution: Security Council Presses Congo to Hold Timely Elections, Stop Restricting Political Space
Last Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 2277 (2016), renewing the mandate until March 31, 2017 to maintain current force levels of 19,815 military personnel in its stabilization mission in the DRC, the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) ...
A New Approach to Sudan Sanctions: New Report
The Enough Project released its latest report, “Modernized Sanctions for Sudan: Unfinished Business for the Obama Administration,” outlining a new strategy that the United States must take towards Sudan. The approach recognizes the current unprecedented opportunity to build on emerging leverage with the Sudanese government and deploy new targeted financial pressures to support a peace deal in Sudan ...
Activist Brief: Modernized Sanctions for Sudan: Unfinished Business for the Obama Administration
A new Enough Project report details how, in its final nine months, the Obama administration has an unprecedented opportunity to build on emerging leverage with the Sudanese government and deploy new targeted financial pressures to support a peace deal in Sudan ...
Modernized Sanctions Offer Hope for Peace in Sudan
A new Enough Project report published today, “Modernized Sanctions for Sudan: Unfinished Business for the Obama Administration” by John Prendergast and Brad Brooks-Rubin, details how in its final nine months the Obama administration has an unprecedented opportunity to build on emerging leverage with the Sudanese government and deploy new targeted financial pressures to support a peace deal in Sudan ...
TIME Op-ed: How to Stabilize the Central African Republic
Think the ultimate victor in the U.S. presidential race faces a tough task? The effort to unite a divided America pales in comparison to what lies ahead for Faustin Archange Touadéra, a mathematics professor by tradewho was elected president of the Central African Republic (CAR) last week. Touadéra received a strong mandate from the population, capturing 63% of the votes. The nation’s troubles are, however, far from over, and his immense to-do list might scare many heads of state into early retirement ...
Amb. Samantha Power: Democratic Journey is Bright Light for CAR
Central African Republic’s President, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, assumed office on March 30, 2016, vowing “to make CAR a united country, a country of peace, a country facing development.” During his inaugural reception in Bangui last week, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power gave remarks on “Crafting Peace by the Way We Live Our Lives” to honor the newly inaugurated president ...
Apple Steps Up on Conflict Minerals
This week, Apple released a new report that revealed the company had taken several groundbreaking steps to combat the deadly in trade in conflict minerals. Four minerals used in electronics, jewelry, and other products – gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten – have helped fund armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which over 5.4 million people have died since 1994 ...
European Union Parliament, Student Activists Call for Targeted Sanctions on Kabila’s Circle on Elections Issue
A resolution passed on March 10 in the European Union Parliament and a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry from 25 student leaders in the U.S. have called for increased policy action on President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to hold national elections freely, fairly, and on time. The two public notices particularly call on the U.S. and E.U. to place targeted sanctions on Kabila’s inner circle. These statements have come at a time when democracy activists are increasingly being jailed in Congo, for example the arrest of 18 LUCHA activists following ...
