Since international recognition of the violence in Sudan in 2004, little has been done to remedy the situation. Some pressure has been applied on the Sudanese government, including using a special envoy by the United States and issuing the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. Also, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Oman Hassan al-Bashir, but the Sudanese government rejects the indictment and al-Bashir is not expected to face trial anytime soon.
Accountability is important, but is it not just the beginning? Despite international criticism of Sudan, little has improved. Numerous candidates, including Yasir Aman, who was supposed to be al-Bashir's biggest opponent, withdrew from this month's presidential elections facing al-Bashir's intimidation and oppression.
Thus, al-Bashir still remains in power as corruption runs rampant, and castigation by the likes of President Obama or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton likely will do little to deter him from his current unscrupulousness. If countries such as the United States actually wish for an effective end to the genocide, a more effective solution would be to convince all nations that interact with Darfur, such as China, to collectively force the replacement of al-Bashir and stop the flow of resources to militia groups such as the Janjaweed. Although such a move arguably would be improbable and overly invasive, the genocide in Sudan is unlikely to cease if left to the Sudanese themselves, as the general populace lacks the means to direct change.
The focus should be to convince China and the other nations that interact with the Sudanese to impose economic sanctions until strict requirements for improvement are met. Talisman Energy, for instance, sold its stake in Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company; other countries ought to follow suit. Clearly al-Bashir and his fellow officials feel no moral reproach and are not likely to anytime soon, so efforts to restrict economic resources severely would be more productive than simply urging the Sudanese government to take action.\n\nClarice Lee\nCLAS I
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