OurPledge

Ironic?

Astonishing. Somehow we missed this, but at last month’s UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, Sudan negotiator Lumumba Di-Aping compared a proposed climate change agreement to the Holocaust.

His words:

“It is asking Africa to sign a suicide pact, an incineration pact in order to maintain the economic dependence of a few countries…It is a solution based on values that funneled six million people in Europe into furnaces.”

This coming from an official whose government is responsible for perpetrating genocide against its own citizens.

Here’s the video:

A civil war in Sudan policy?

We think Foreign Policy’s Josh Rogin hits all of the right points in his recent article about the Obama administration’s Sudan policy.

“Obama’s approach to Sudan has been hobbled from the beginning by deep divisions between senior officials — especially [Scott] Gration, the special envoy, and [Susan] Rice, the U.N. ambassador — on how best to handle Khartoum, sources said. Gration is said to be big on carrots, while Rice prefers sticks. [Deputy Secretary of State Jim] Steinberg is also said to lean towards a harder line, which the advocacy community also favors.”

“In 2006, Rice coauthored an article saying, “History demonstrates that there is one language Khartoum understands: the credible threat or use of force.’”

“ABC News reported that Rice was “furious” in June when Gration said that Darfur was experiencing only the “remnants of genocide.” The State Department quickly confirmed that its official position is that genocide is ongoing.”

Our thoughts: How is someone like Gration still controlling the Sudan portfolio? And why can’t the Obama administration execute a strong and coordinated Sudan policy?

Among other things, President Obama has promised to impose consequences (targeted multilateral sanctions, etc.) if the Sudanese government fails to improve conditions on the ground in both Darfur and Southern Sudan.

Well — those measurable improvements have not been seen. So what is President Obama waiting for now?

Georgetown and Duke students are awesome. That is all.

From Enough:

“In front of amped up students smeared with blue and gray paint, a sold-out arena, and President Obama and his entourage, students and alumni from Georgetown and Duke universities kicked off their partnership today with the Darfur Dream Team.”

“It was one of the most highly anticipated college basketball games of the season, made all the more exciting with the VIPs in the audience. But about 12 minutes into the game, all eyes turned toward the NBA’s Tracy McGrady, who flew in from Houston to lend his star-power to the launch of the joint project. McGrady, who co-founded the Darfur Dream Team with Enough’s John Prendergast after a trip together to Darfuri refugee camps in 2007, helped direct attention up to the Jumbotron, and here’s what they saw…”