une 11, 2007 Monday, June 11, 2007 (Washington, DC) – During the month of May, the U.S. held the presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, a position imbued with the authority to set that major international body’s priorities and agenda. In preparation for this month-long responsibility, Africa Action called on the U.S. to use this rare and limited opportunity to take deliberate steps to address the violence in Darfur, now in its fifth year. As the only country to acknowledge that genocide is taking place in Darfur, the U.S. has a particular responsibility to act to end such atrocities.

Instead, the U.S. and the rest of the international community continued to spin their wheels and have yet to secure a viable solution to address the violence in Darfur: the deployment of a robust multinational peacekeeping force with a mandate to protect the people. While plans detailing the nature of an African Union (AU)-UN hybrid protection were introduced in the UN Security Council in the last week of May, key issues remain unresolved and the timeline for deployment remains unacceptably extended.

Meanwhile, Khartoum persists in its denial of genocide in Darfur and in its blockage of a future deployment of a UN peacekeeping force numbering 23,000. Every step of the way, political obstacles placed by the Sudanese government have delayed effective action to protect people in Darfur, and U.S. and other members of the international community have been complicit in this inaction.

Humanitarian conditions on the ground continue to demonstrate the pressing need for international action. Some 4.5 million people are now reported to be conflict-affected. The increasing number of people violently displaced has stretched the capacity of humanitarian aid agencies, also currently facing the risk of attack. The U.S. must act now to halt this deadly decline in security and to rally international support for protection for Darfur.


The Deployment of a Peacekeeping Force for Darfur

During its presidency, the U.S. demonstrated its lack of political will to fully engage on this issue. The issues of genocide in Darfur remained largely absent from the Security Council’s agenda, as the U.S. missed the opportunity to publicly elevate the priority of protection for Darfur.

In the final days of the month, a plan was introduced in the Security Council, detailing the proposed implementation of the AU-UN hybrid force. The plan, authored by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and AU Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare, has since received the approval of both international bodies but awaits endorsement by the Sudanese government.

Central elements of the plan remain contentious, and negotiations over the question of UN versus AU command of the peacekeeping mission have crept along since the initial proposal of a hybrid force in November 2006. The compromise struck by the UN and the AU with this latest deal leaves the issue of the division of power largely unsettled, with the AU taking on “operational” authority while the UN would have “overall” authority.

Furthermore, the international community has consistently relied upon the goodwill of the Sudanese government to advance protection for people in Darfur, and the implementation of this new plan is again contingent on Khartoum’s approval. However, Khartoum had repeatedly stated its refusal to allow UN command of a peacekeeping force, consistently hampering its efficient deployment. The U.S. and other members of the international community must stand strong on the message that protection cannot wait.

The process of international negotiations has dragged on while the people of Darfur have experienced a downward spiral of insecurity. The need for effective peacekeeping force must be paramount, and its implementation must be expedited to avoid the further destruction of life.


The International Responsibility to Protect

In May, President Bush announced the imposition of new U.S. sanctions on Sudan, targeting three individuals and thirty-one companies. These sanctions add to the currently existing U.S. economic sanctions against Sudan, in place since 1997. This unilateral step will have too little effect, without the support of the rest of the international community. The U.S. must work to expand global pressure on Sudan, and it must reach out to its partners to engender a unified message of international opposition to genocide.

At the recent Group of 8 (G8) meeting of wealthy nations, President Bush also expressed “disappointment” with the UN for failure to act in Darfur. This sentiment drastically understates the role that the U.S. must play in spurring action at the UN. The U.S. must work to build multilateral pressure, through the UN, the AU, and the Arab League, as well as through its bilateral relations. The U.S. must also make Darfur a top priority in its partnerships with China and Russia, to strongly highlight their continued economic and political support for human rights violations in Sudan.

The UN Security Council will embark on a trip to Africa, on June 17, with a first stop in Sudan for a meeting with Sudanese President Bashir. The U.S. ambassador, along with his colleagues, must use this opportunity to impress the need for the immediate deployment of peacekeepers, with a strong mandate to protect and a robust command structure.

The U.S. has the capacity to take constructive steps to improve the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur. The U.S. must work with its international partners to rally international pressure on Khartoum and turn the tides of violence in Darfur.