Darfur Agreement: A Step toward Peace

On Friday, May 5, 2006, The Government Of Sudan And The Largest Darfur Rebel Group Signed An Agreement And Took A Step Toward Peace. We are still far from our ultimate goal of returning millions of displaced people to their homes so they can have a life without fear, but we can now see a way forward. The President is particularly grateful for the leadership of President Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo.

The President Has Called The Massive Violence An Act Of Genocide - No Other Word Captures The Extent Of This Tragedy. A 22-year civil war between north and south took more than 2 million lives before a peace agreement that the United States helped to broker was signed early last year. At about the same time, another conflict was raging to the west - in Sudan's vast Darfur region. Darfur rebel groups had attacked government outposts. To fight that rebellion, Sudan's regime armed and unleashed a horse-mounted militia called the Janjaweed, which targeted not only the rebels but the tribes thought to be supporting them. The Janjaweed murdered men and raped women and beat children to death and burned homes and farms and poisoned wells, stole land to graze their own herds, and destroyed hundreds of villages. About 200,000 people have died from conflict, famine, and disease, and more than 2 million were forced into camps. A ceasefire was declared in this conflict in April 2004, but it has been routinely violated by all sides.

With This Peace Agreement, Darfur Has A Chance To Begin Anew. Sudan's government has promised to disarm the Janjaweed by mid-October, and to punish all those who violate the ceasefire. The main rebel group has agreed to withdraw into specified areas. Its forces will eventually be disarmed as well, and some of its units will be integrated into the national army and police. The African Union will meet a week from today, and the President urges its members to help implement this agreement.

The President's Plan To Assist Darfur Has Two Critical Components:

First, America And Other Nations Must Act To Prevent A Humanitarian Emergency. America is the leading provider of humanitarian aid, and this year alone we account for more than 85 percent of the food distributed by the World Food Program in Sudan. The situation, however, remains dire.

• The United States Has Met Its Commitment - But Other Major Donors Have Not Come Through. The World Food Program has issued an appeal for funds necessary to feed 6 million people over the next several months. The United States has met our commitment - but other major donors have not come through. As a result, this month the World Food Program was forced to cut rations by half. The President has proposed, in the emergency supplemental before Congress, to increase food aid to Sudan by another $225 million. The President hopes Congress will act swiftly on this true emergency.

   

• The President Is Directing The Federal Government To Take Numerous Actions To Provide Relief To The People Of Darfur. The President has directed USAID to ship emergency food stockpiles, and he has ordered five ships to be loaded with food and to proceed immediately to Port Sudan. The President has ordered the emergency purchase of another 40,000 metric tons of food for rapid shipment to Sudan. These actions will allow the World Food Program to restore full food rations to the people of Darfur this summer. Americans who wish to contribute money to help deliver relief to the people of Darfur can find information about how to do so by going to the USAID website at www.USAID.gov and clicking on the section marked "Helping the Sudanese People."

   

• The European Union - And Nations Like Canada, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, And Japan - Have Taken Leadership On Other Humanitarian Issues, And The People Of Darfur Urgently Need More Of Their Help Now. In addition, the government of Sudan must allow all UN agencies to do their work without hindrance by removing the visa and travel restrictions that complicate relief efforts. And all sides must cease attacks on relief workers.

Second, America And Other Nations Must Work Quickly To Increase Security On The Ground In Darfur.

• America Is Working With NATO Members To Increase Security In Darfur. America is working with our NATO allies to support the African Union forces in Darfur with immediate assistance in the form of planning, logistics, intelligence support, and other help, and the President urges members of the alliance to contribute to this effort.

   

• America Is Working With The UN To Increase Security In Darfur. The African Union troops must be the core of a larger military force that is more mobile and more capable, generates better intelligence - and is given a clear mandate to protect civilians from harm. So the President is dispatching Secretary Rice to address the United Nations Security Council tomorrow and to request a resolution that will accelerate the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers into Darfur.

  • We Are Working With The UN To Identify Countries That Can Contribute Troops To This Peacekeeping Effort. The President has called President Bashir of Sudan, both to commend him on his work for this agreement, and to urge his government to express clear support for the UN force. The vulnerable people of Darfur deserve the active protection that UN peacekeepers are called to provide.

While America Is Providing Aid To The Suffering People In Darfur, Al Qaeda Wants To Add To The Misery By Killing Those Who Want Only To Help. In a recent audiotape, Osama Bin Laden attacked American efforts in Sudan and urged his followers to kill international peacekeepers in Darfur. While the terrorists are attempting to exploit the misery of fellow Muslims and encourage more death, America and other responsible nations are fighting misery and helping a desperate region come back to life. The contrast could not be clearer.

Africa Policy

In Africa, promise and opportunity sit side by side with disease, war, and desperate poverty. This threatens both a core value of the United States—preserving human dignity —and our strategic priority—combating global terror. American interests and American principles, therefore, lead in the same direction: we will work with others for an African continent that lives in liberty, peace, and growing prosperity.

Together with our allies and friends, we must help strengthen Africa's fragile states, help build indigenous capability to secure porous borders, and help build up the law enforcement and intelligence infrastructure to deny havens for terrorists. An ever more lethal environment exists in Africa as local civil wars spread beyond borders to create regional war zones. Forming coalitions of the willing and cooperative security arrangements are key to confronting these emerging transnational threats.

Sudan's Darfur Region

President Bush is committed to improving security in Darfur, finding a political solution to the crisis, and meeting urgent humanitarian needs. Learn more about Sudan by visiting www.state.gov

Africa: National Security Strategy

Africa's great size and diversity requires a security strategy that focuses on bilateral engagement and builds coalitions of the willing. This Administration will focus on three interlocking strategies for the region:

• countries with major impact on their neighborhood such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia are anchors for regional engagement and require focused attention
• coordination with allies, friends and international institutions is essential for constructive conflict mediation and successful peace operations; and
• Africa's capable reforming states and sub-regional organizations must be strengthened as the primary means to address transnational threats on a sustained basis.

Ultimately the path of political and economic freedom presents the surest route to progress in sub-Saharan Africa, where most wars are conflicts over material resources and political access often tragically waged on the basis of ethnic and religious difference.

The transition to the African Union with its stated commitment to good governance and a common responsibility for democratic political systems offers opportunities to strengthen democracy on the continent.

Three Pillars of Bush African Policy

1. Strategic approach

• Work with the key anchor states in each sub-region
• Support sub-regional organization
• Engage the African Union

2. Clear policy priorities

• Combat HIV/AIDS pandemic
• Advance political and economic freedom
• Promote peace and regional stability

3. Principles of bilateral engagement

• Good governance
• Economic reform
• Promote health and education

Africa Growth and Opportunity Act

• President Bush announced the AGOA forum on May 16, 2001
• Forum held at the State Department on October 29-30.
• The President, Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce, Agriculture, National Security Advisor, USAID Administrator and Ministerial counterparts from 35 African countries participated in the forum.
• Discussed ways to build trade capacity with Africa to fully implement AGOA

HIV / AIDS

• AIDS alone has left at least 11 million orphans in sub-Sahara Africa.
• The Bush Administration launched the Global AID Fund and initially contributed $200 M. Today the Administration has committed $500M for FY02 and 03.
• The Administration is providing approximately $1B in FY02 and 03 for global HIV/AIDS.