November 7, 2009
liveblogging: back to Sudan, carrots and sticks
The most important thing is really to multilateral-ize pressure. We need to find ways that other countries cannot break into Sudan. We need to go to our European allies.
While sanctions are an effective tool, they are not a silver bullet. The Obama administration needs to make the sanctions more effective by multilateral-izing them. We need more real, substantial progress happening on the ground. We need Congress to be working with the administration as much as possible.
Sudan has suffered consequences due to the global economic crisis. Part of the challenge is its public debt. This regime has accumulated debt. This regime that currently hold this debt is unrepentant and unreformed. Their is over 35 million dollars. This is the second biggest debt in Africa with the exceptioin of South Africa. Most of this debt has been accumulated by the Bashir regime – it is debt that was accumulated without the consent of its people and not used for the benefit of its people. There are clear indicators that this debt went to performing acts of human atrocities. A lot of this debt came within the last ten years. This was debt that accumulated in the late 1990′s.
The government of Sudan has been arrogant about solving their debt – because they can borrow money from other countries. But with the global economy crashing and with the crash of oil prices, they can’t go to the countries that they usually go to. So now they are going to the international community for debt relief. And they are hoping that the international community will give them money for debt relief. This gives us more leverage to say, “well if you want debt relief, it needs to be done on the following conditions….”
Find out more info at savedarfur.org/sudansdebt
bec
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hi anderw i am bec im ALWWAys admare you and hp aliance you talk about sudan a lot well what about slavery in suddan everyday millionss of people are brought and sold everyhday aand everybody ignores this from obama to mainstem meidia
i read on a blog of a rightwing reporter that a school in usa had raise money to buy slaves to set them free and their had written to oparh askking them to be on her show at first she said yes but than she change her mind saying the issue was too complex
why what so complex about issue of slavery slavery is evil…. thhe end
it seems she would rather talk about britny speers new recorrd that slavery inn sudan
mind you i read the story on a right wing website who hates operh ….. SO
i dont know how acrute the story is
please keep up the hard workk on this website and please dont ignore slavery in suden or any way else in thde world
keep up the good work
your friend
bec