07/21/2006

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC


Dear President Bush:

Your meeting with Minni Minawi, the only rebel leader to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement, gives the United States another chance to help stop the fighting in Darfur. Under your leadership, the U.S. has done much to bring stability to Sudan—the conclusion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, generous funding of a massive humanitarian effort that has prevented starvation in Darfur, and the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). But that agreement is not working, and one of the many reasons is Minni Minawi.

I am writing this letter from Darfur, where I am finishing an 11-day assessment of the impact of the DPA. In short, since the agreement was signed on May 5th, fighting, instability and displacement have increased, while the ability of humanitarian agencies to reach people has decreased. Yesterday, in Zam Zam Camp outside of El Fasher, I encountered a family whose village had been attacked by Minawi’s forces two weeks ago. In fact, the population of Zam Zam camp has increased by 10% --- about 3,500 people --- since the agreement was signed, mainly because Minawi’s forces are attacking Fur villages in north Darfur. According to the United Nations, some of these attacks show the same signs of genocidal intent demonstrated by the government-backed Janjaweed militia --- the targeted killing of young men.

In your meeting with Minawi, please stress that he must honor the terms of the DPA and stop fighting. He must stop talking about retribution for those who don’t support the agreement, and begin talking of reconciliation. The U.S. should not support parties that are continuing to fight after signing the DPA.

In addition, I recommend that the U.S.:

• Redouble its efforts to get other parties to sign the agreement. It is possible to add important elements guaranteeing security and increasing payments to support the return of refugees and displaced people to their villages without redrafting the DPA. It is particularly important that the Abdel Wahid faction of the Sudan Liberation Army be brought into the agreement.
  • Although Minawi is the dominant military leader among the rebels, he represents a small tribe and is intensely disliked by the dominant tribe, the Fur. A strong association with Minawi, will weaken America’s influence with other groups, just as the African Union forces here have been discredited by their embrace of Minawi. Therefore, it is important that the U.S. find ways to reach out to other groups and leaders as it fetes Minawi in Washington.
• Secure from Minawi, who is expected to become the fourth-ranking official in the Khartoum government, a commitment that he will push the government of Sudan to follow through on its commitment to disarm and control the Janjaweed militia. While in northern Darfur, Minawi’s troops pose the biggest threat to stability, the Janjaweed remain a menacing force elsewhere.
• Put more pressure on the government of Sudan to accept UN peacekeepers with a strong mandate. The African Union forces have made a contribution to stability in Darfur, but that force is too small, too weak, and too discredited to continue. Judging from the July 18th donors conference, even the U.S. is giving up on the AU force by refusing to provide adequate funding. One precondition for peace in Darfur is the quick deployment of a large, well-funded UN force. If the Khartoum government won’t allow a UN force, the UN should impose targeting sanctions, including travel bans on top officials, until it does.
• Help negotiate an agreement between the AU and the UN for joint implementation of the DPA. The AU simply does not have the capacity to carry out all of the tasks assigned to it under the DPA. The U.N. has a large infrastructure on the ground with political connections to most parties in the conflict.
• Push the AU and the UN to begin a broad Darfur-Darfur Dialogue as soon as possible to include all parties in the process of reconciliation and rebuilding. The dialogue must include women and youth leaders, as well as representatives of all the tribes and ethnic groups.
• Strengthen your team on Sudan by appointing a personal envoy who will report directly to you on efforts to promote peace in Darfur and sustain peace in south Sudan.

Achieving peace in Darfur will not be easy under any circumstances. The DPA is an imperfect start, but it is a start. I know you care deeply about peace in Darfur, and I urge you to take these and other actions to increase the chances of success.

Sincerely,
Kenneth H. Bacon
President


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