FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A new Enough Project report, “Neglecting Darfur,” argues that the international community, in its desire to focus on the referendum, is offering its approval for a government strategy that will likely lead to more suffering among the displaced.
“The new strategy is a means by which the government can resolve its Darfur problem without angering the tribes that it armed years earlier, and to whom it promised benefits in exchange for involvement in massive crimes against sedentary Darfuris,” said Laura Jones, Enough Policy Advisor and a co-author of the report. “You don’t have to look far in the region to realize the government’s true intentions include some combination of military action, camp closures, and manipulated returns, despite its use of humanitarian lingo.”
The report, which offers an overview of the ongoing crisis in Darfur, argues that the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate unless the world renews its attention to the troubled region. The international community should focus on both the referendum and Darfur in order to build a complete and lasting solution to the problems in Sudan, argues Enough Advisor and report co-author Omer Ismail.
“It is important for Sudan’s stability that we have a holistic approach to tackling the crisis in Darfur and the referendum in the south,” he said. “After the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, all engines were sent to extinguish the fire in Darfur leaving the south to its own devices. Now the unraveling of the CPA and the countdown to the referendum have shifted attention completely from Darfur in favor of the south. We are repeating the same mistakes, and we are bound to end up with the same result.”
Read the full report: “Neglecting Darfur.”
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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.