US Falls Short on Promises to Darfur

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By Jacob Leon Beier
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – While President Bush has maintained a passionate position on what he has stated to be ongoing genocide in Sudan (the United States is the sole nation that has used the term), the Washington Post recently argued that the administration’s policies have lacked a similar zeal.

President Bush has expressed a keen interest in the plight of the Sudanese people, and according to David Rubenstein, former executive direction of the Save Darfur Coalition, “He [President Bush] had an understanding of the issue that went beyond simply responding to a briefing that had been given.  He knew more facts than I expected him to know, and he had a broader political perspective than I expected him to have.” 

President Bush has repeatedly asserted that the international community must react decisively to the continued rape, murder, and dispossession of innocents in Darfur by the Arab militant group, the Janjaweed.  Furthermore, the President Bush has previously assured the American public and the international community that he would not allow a situation similar to the humanitarian crisis in Rwanda to occur under his watch.

In a statement concerning the violence in Darfur on September 9, 2004, President Bush proclaimed that the United Stated would lead international efforts to stem the rising tide of bloodshed.  The Bush administration provided $211 million in humanitarian aid to the beleaguered nation and promised an additional $250 million. 

Additionally, in October 2006, Bush signed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (DPAA) and issued an executive order at the same time in an attempt to block “property of and prohibiting transaction with the Government of Sudan.”  The executive order dealt specifically with the country’s petroleum and petrochemical industries.  The DPAA provided that sanctions would be imposed on any “persons responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity; supports measures for the protection of civilians and humanitarian operations; and supports peace efforts in the Darfur region of Sudan.”

But, critics claim that the Bush administration is not doing enough, including providing military reinforcements to the insufficient African Union force and pressuring allies to do the same. 

The American people have responded strongly to the perceived inaction on the part of the Bush administration.  For example, during a rally in Washington D.C. on April 20, 2006, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, joined by Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill.) and George Clooney, sought to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis and continued atrocities in Sudan.  Wiesel sought to dispel the sense of indifference concerning the genocide in Sudan.  “Silence helps the killer, never the victims.  And to the eyes of the victims, the world remains indifferent to their plight.  We are here because we refuse to be silent.”

For more information, please see:

Washington Post – US Promises on Darfur Don’t Match Actions – 29 October 2007

USINFO – President Bush Signs Darfur Peace and Accountability Act – 14 October 2006

BUToday –Elie Wisel Urges US Action on Darfur – 2 May 2006

The White House – President’s Statement on Violence in Darfur, Sudan – 9 September 2004