If Sudan's genocidal president, Omar al Bashir, was watching the recent presidential debate, he was probably not happy with what he heard. Both candidates affirmed their belief that in the case of genocide, and specifically the Darfur genocide, the United States has a moral responsibility to act.
During the debate, this crucial topic was raised by moderator, Tom Brokaw. "Let's see if we can establish tonight the Obama doctrine and the McCain doctrine for the use of United States combat forces in situations where there's a humanitarian crisis, but it does not affect our national security," he stated.
According to John Norris, Executive Director of Enough, the project to end genocide and crimes against humanity, the candidates responses on this subject were "encouraging," especially in contrast to that of our current president to this same topic eight years ago. In the 2000 debate against Al Gore, Bush's stance was that the Rwandan genocide, which killed over 600,000 people, had not merited intervention, a position which "shocked the consciousness of a lot of people," stated Norris. In contrast, he said, "these candidates recognize that sovereignty doesn't allow nations to terrorize its own citizens without consequences."
Next week, Norris's organization, Enough, together with the Save Darfur Coalition and Genocide Intervention Network will release a strategy paper titled, "Letter to the Next President: Peace Surge for Sudan." The paper will outline recommendations for the next administration to turn this strong talk into concrete action to bring peace to Darfur and the entire country of Sudan.
During the debate, both presidential candidates acknowledged the moral imperative of acting in the face of genocide. "We may not always have national security issues at stake, but we have moral issues at stake," stated Obama. "If we could have intervened effectively in the Holocaust, who among us would say that we had a moral obligation not to go in? If we could've stopped Rwanda, surely, if we had the ability, that would be something that we would have to strongly consider and act. So when genocide is happening, when ethnic cleansing is happening somewhere around the world and we stand idly by, that diminishes us. And so I do believe that we have to consider it as part of our interests, our national interests, in intervening where possible."
Similarly, McCain stated, "The United States of America, Tom, is the greatest force for good, as I said. And we must do whatever we can to prevent genocide, whatever we can to prevent these terrible calamities that we have said never again." Later, he added, "I may have to make those tough decisions. But I won't take them lightly. And I understand that we have to say never again to a Holocaust and never again to Rwanda."
In the vice presidential debate, both candidates had also expressed zero tolerance for the genocide in Darfur. Biden voiced his support for a no-fly zone, US leadership of NATO action, and a US "movement" to provide the UN/AU joint peacekeeping mission there with the desperately needed helicopters that the international community has been unwilling to supply. Palin concurred with Biden's remarks and specifically supported the no-fly zone.
She also stressed the importance of state divestment from companies that help to fund the genocide in Darfur saying that "as individuals, and as humanitarians and as elected officials, we should do all we can to end those atrocities in that region of the world." Palin now supports legislation in Alaska to prevent the state's pension money from underwriting this genocide. If her state passes such legislation in its next session, it will become the 28th state to divest from Sudan.
The VP candidates' comments apparently struck a nerve within the genocidal Khartoum regime, since it quickly turned up the volume on its propaganda efforts and sharply criticized Biden and Palin for supporting a no-fly zone over Darfur. If Bashir thought that this PR offensive would subdue the anti-genocide campaign rhetoric, he was wrong. Admirably, McCain and Obama kept up the pressure during their next debate.
Now, the challenge for either candidate, if elected, will be to follow this encouraging rhetoric with action. According to Eric Cohen, chairperson of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, there are a wide range of key issues which will need our next president's immediate attention. "They should specifically address issues such as the no-fly zone, UNAMID support including helicopters, multi-lateral sanctions, divestment, and support for the ICC indictment of Bashir," stated Cohen.
Norris, at Enough, concurs that these are among the many Sudan-related issues which the next administration will face. "The overarching objective is to advance the peace process to achieve a peace deal for Sudan as a whole. To do this we will need to commit diplomatic, political and perhaps even military resources to achieve a durable peace." Detailed recommendations for the next administration will be covered in the Enough strategy paper to be released next week.
In recent months, the situation in Darfur has become increasingly grave. The government of Sudan has launched repeated attacks on civilian camps for internally displaced persons. Additionally, the UN's World Food Program announced that escalating violence may force it to stop food deliveries leaving millions without assistance.
The recent onslaught of government-sponsored violence seems likely to continue unabated since civilian protection is Darfur is nearly non-existent. In spite of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1769 which approved the first joint UN/AU force and the UN's largest peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) on July 31, 2007, the mission there remains woefully understaffed. Perhaps even worse, contributing countries, including the US, have not provided the urgently needed helicopters and other equipment which could make surveillance and protection a reality.
The Darfur genocide recently entered its sixth year. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed there, even by the most conservative estimates. The United Nations puts the death toll at roughly 300,000, while the former U.N. undersecretary-general puts the number at no less than 400,000. Up to 2.5 million Darfuris have fled their homes and continue to live in camps throughout Darfur, or in refugee camps in neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic.