The Newsweek online piece (see here) by Jason McClure on the crumbling Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan properly calls attention to growing tensions between northern and southern Sudan while most outside observers are still focused on Darfur, which is experiencing comparatively less violence.
McClure's provocative article puts most of the blame on the government in Khartoum, but does not give the southern government a pass. There will be plenty of room for shared blame if the CPA collapses.
In all fairness, I think President Obama's Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, has turned his attention to the north-south issue and is pursuing the right tactic in trying to work with Khartoum in efforts to improve the situation in Darfur and to implement the CPA.
If his initiative does not work, there is always the option to return to the hard line approach which, I would argue, has had very mixed results in the past.
Image: Peter Martell/AFP-Getty Images
Showing posts with label J. Scott Gration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J. Scott Gration. Show all posts
Friday, October 9, 2009
Growing tensions between northern and southern Sudan
The Newsweek online piece (see here) by Jason McClure on the crumbling Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan properly calls attention to growing tensions between northern and southern Sudan while most outside observers are still focused on Darfur, which is experiencing comparatively less violence.
McClure's provocative article puts most of the blame on the government in Khartoum, but does not give the southern government a pass. There will be plenty of room for shared blame if the CPA collapses.
In all fairness, I think President Obama's Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, has turned his attention to the north-south issue and is pursuing the right tactic in trying to work with Khartoum in efforts to improve the situation in Darfur and to implement the CPA.
If his initiative does not work, there is always the option to return to the hard line approach which, I would argue, has had very mixed results in the past.
Image: Peter Martell/AFP-Getty Images
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The significance of Sen. Kerry's visit to Sudan - Al Jazeera Interview
I appeared on the Al Jazeera English this evening concerning Senator John Kerry's visit to Sudan. 
I noted that the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is a close political ally of President Barack Obama and that this visit to Sudan comes on the heals of one by General J. Scott Gration, the president's special envoy to Sudan. The two visits appear to represent a high-level reassessment of U.S. relations with Sudan.
The focus of Senator Kerry's visit will probably be on the continuing crisis in Darfur, implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the civil war between northern and southern Sudan, human rights concerns, and Sudan's cooperation with the United States on counterterrorism.
Al Jazeera has not posted the video yet. If it does, I will link it here.
I noted that the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is a close political ally of President Barack Obama and that this visit to Sudan comes on the heals of one by General J. Scott Gration, the president's special envoy to Sudan. The two visits appear to represent a high-level reassessment of U.S. relations with Sudan.
The focus of Senator Kerry's visit will probably be on the continuing crisis in Darfur, implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the civil war between northern and southern Sudan, human rights concerns, and Sudan's cooperation with the United States on counterterrorism.
Al Jazeera has not posted the video yet. If it does, I will link it here.
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