Darfur violence persists

The World
The World
RW says America remains committed to two objectives in Darfur: #1 is trying to get some measure of security because the type of insecurity that still exists is outrageous. #2 is providing humanitarian assistance: there are over 2.5 million people whose homes have been burned to the ground and their crops destroyed and are now in displaced persons camp. The areas receiving aid have shrunk so hundreds of thousands of people are living in desperate situations. (This is the kind of thing we've been hearing for four years now and the government is doing nothing to help. But UN peacekeepers were authorized a year ago, so is the US stuck?) We don't think we're stuck but the obstacles are considerable: some of which are from Sudan, some of which are from the UN. We need more forces on the ground. (What is the overlap between Darfur and the civil war between the North and the South of Sudan? What is the status of the peace agreement between the North and South?) Just a couple weeks ago in the center of the dispute, there was violence that escalated and 50,000 were driven out of their homes. I visited that area at the end of May and it was incredible devastation. Unfortunately some of that looting and burning was as close to 25 yards of the UN and the UN commands stayed at their garrison. (How come?) The UN does have a mandate to intervene but they didn't have the capacity to do it, they only had a 300 peacekeepers. We pay a billion dollars a year for those peacekeepers and they stayed in their garrison. (You have spoken with the President of Sudan, al Bashir.) Yes, in early June. (I know you've been criticized for even talking with the President, but what is it like talking to him?) My goal is to reduce the suffering, so ignoring the power players won't help. I've been criticized by some, but my goal is a solution, not a cause. (What happens when the Bush administration turns over to the next one?) I've been around governments for decades and this is by far the most difficult assignment I've ever had because of the amount of suffering, but we'll keep pushing and working and I find it heartening that both Senators McCain and Obama are active on this front as well.
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