THE OBAMA administration will today roll out a new policy aimed at resolving the Darfur crisis in Sudan, a much softer and more conciliatory line than the president promised during his election campaign.
Barack Obama is dropping a plan to isolate the Sudanese government and introduce tougher sanctions. Instead he will offer incentives aimed at the normalisation of relations with Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.
Earlier this year Mr Bashir was charged with war crimes over the conflict in Darfur, in which hundreds of thousands are estimated to have been killed and up to two million displaced.
The US hopes that working with the Sudanese government will allow it to exercise more influence.
The offer of normalisation is dependent on Khartoum beginning to implement measures to end the conflict. If it does not, the Obama administration will threaten punitive measures.
The policy comes at the end of a review that began when Obama became president. It will be set out in detail today by the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, along with Susan Rice, the US ambassador at the UN, and Scott Gration, the US special envoy to Sudan. During the election campaign, Obama criticised George Bush for failing to take action against the Sudanese government.
Obama advocated tougher international sanctions aimed at the country’s oil industry and the assets of its leaders while Ms Rice, hinted at US military action.
– (Guardian service)