By now many of you know that the Obama administration will release its long-awaited Sudan policy review this Monday.
Much will be said about whether or not the administration’s on-paper plan is too soft on the Sudanese government. No matter what comes out on Monday, though, the Sudan movement should not try to turn the news into its own red herring.
Ultimately, execution will be EVERYTHING during this next year. A Sudan planning document and statements of intentions are no substitute for action. If the Obama administration wishes to sit at negotiating tables with Khartoum, then the Sudan advocacy movement has no issue with this. But we do have a problem with General Gration’s actions so far, which have been motivated by his belief that diplomatic prodding alone can move the universe. Such an approach might work with other political actors and other problems. In this case, though, the historical record points starkly to one truth: Omar al-Bashir and his regime, who are responsible for killing or else destroying the livelihoods of millions of Sudanese, have never changed their behavior absent concerted pressure from the U.S. and its allies.
