SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT IN SUDAN
We ask you to support the United States efforts to effect the democratic transition in Sudan and we send the following open letter to President Biden:
Dear Mr. President:
On your watch, how will the United States champion freedom, peace, justice and democracy in Sudan? As a Senator and as Vice President, you were involved in advocating for and implementing U.S. policy on Sudan. Now, as President, the leadership to guide Sudan policy is yours, and it comes at an extraordinary moment of opportunity, created heroically by the people of Sudan. We, the undersigned, Sudanese and human rights activists and organizations, urge you to prioritize a full-court press with regard to U.S. engagement at this critical and historical time in Sudan. We recommend the appointment of an Ambassador to Sudan to support normalization of relations with the U.S. and the appointment of a Special Presidential Envoy to prioritize and support Sudan’s difficult and delicate transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, including but not limited to the full implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, supporting transitional justice and the return of refugees and IDPs, strengthening institutions and civil society, and helping Sudan prepare for and conduct free and fair elections.
We do not need to explain to you the magnitude of what the people of Sudan have accomplished through a brilliantly coordinated, inclusive and country-wide non-violent revolution. As a Senator, you witnessed the coup by General Omar al Bashir in 1989 and the subsequent tragic deaths of over 2.5 million southern Sudanese and the displacement of more than 4 million people. You were a strong supporter of the 2002 Sudan Peace Act which provided a framework for peace negotiations that yielded the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending a 22-year civil war and providing for democratic transformation for Sudan and a referendum for southern Sudan and Abyei if unity was not made attractive. You were among the loudest to protest the attacks, later identified as genocide, in Darfur by the Sudan regime and its Janjaweed militia. Subsequently, you proposed a number of measures, including a no-fly zone, to protect millions of innocent men, women and children who were subjected to violent deaths, wide-spread rape, complete destruction of homes and property, and forced displacements. You understood Bashir’s propensity for dishonoring agreements, and when free and fair elections did not occur in Sudan, you, as the Vice President, pledged U.S. support for the right of southern Sudanese to vote in a referendum for independence. Later in 2013, as South Sudan and the Bashir regime struggled with issues of separation and attacks by the regime were ongoing in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, you affirmed the Obama Administration’s “commitment to a durable and lasting peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan.” You have helped shape U.S. policy on Sudan for decades, and you are the right person to lead effective U.S. engagement in Sudan at this critical time.
As you stated in an April 2007 hearing on Darfur, the U.S. policy on Sudan requires “a comprehensive approach to what is a complex problem...that will require the kind of resources, coordination, and sustained engagement at the highest levels.” This remains true today. The recently passed Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Fiscal Transparency Act of 2020, helps to identify that comprehensive approach. It outlines an ambitious agenda for the Sudanese transitional government and for U.S. engagement in support of the transition, and it includes mechanisms to assess the progress of both. Implementation of the Act and support for the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement require the sustained engagement and resources of the U.S. that you called for in 2007 due to the complexities of Sudan, the short timeframe to achieve significant outcomes, and the fragility of the state. Sudan remains vulnerable, in large part, due to the ongoing presence of the National Congress Party and other negative forces that are still very much engaged throughout Sudan and are seeking to undermine the movement for freedom, peace and justice and the new civilian-led transitional government.
At an April 2008 hearing on Darfur, you earnestly asked, “what will it take to change the circumstances on the ground?” The people of Sudan, those who fought against oppression and those, especially youth and women, who peacefully protested, showed us what it would take. Now, they need your support to help secure what they have achieved at great cost and to avoid a return to dangerous leadership, violent conflict and humanitarian crises that ultimately undermine U.S. and international security. The people of Sudan must be able to hold free and fair elections so that they can recover and build their country. The U.S. must not make the mistake again of under-investing in this process. You were right in your response to the Council on Foreign Relations that “the United States cannot afford to miss this moment to engage with African youth and to offer them a window into the American model of democracy.” Sudan can be YOUR model for this type of U.S. engagement in Africa and the remarkable achievements of the Sudanese people should be showcased at the planned Global Summit for Democracy.
Thank you for your thoughtful assessment and consideration of this urgent matter. The expertise you have acquired over the years on Sudan and your commitment to promoting democracy and human rights worldwide combined with the extraordinary removal of a brutal dictatorship by the Sudanese people suggests that you are the President for this moment in time. Please do not miss this opportunity to effect the change in Sudan that you have worked towards for decades. Please commit the necessary personnel and financial resources to support the people of Sudan in their determination for freedom, enduring peace and restorative justice. Please do not wait. The situation is urgent, and the opportunities are great. Please appoint a U.S. Ambassador and a Special Presidential Envoy for Sudan.
Sincerely,
Dear Mr. President:
On your watch, how will the United States champion freedom, peace, justice and democracy in Sudan? As a Senator and as Vice President, you were involved in advocating for and implementing U.S. policy on Sudan. Now, as President, the leadership to guide Sudan policy is yours, and it comes at an extraordinary moment of opportunity, created heroically by the people of Sudan. We, the undersigned, Sudanese and human rights activists and organizations, urge you to prioritize a full-court press with regard to U.S. engagement at this critical and historical time in Sudan. We recommend the appointment of an Ambassador to Sudan to support normalization of relations with the U.S. and the appointment of a Special Presidential Envoy to prioritize and support Sudan’s difficult and delicate transition from a dictatorship to a democracy, including but not limited to the full implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, supporting transitional justice and the return of refugees and IDPs, strengthening institutions and civil society, and helping Sudan prepare for and conduct free and fair elections.
We do not need to explain to you the magnitude of what the people of Sudan have accomplished through a brilliantly coordinated, inclusive and country-wide non-violent revolution. As a Senator, you witnessed the coup by General Omar al Bashir in 1989 and the subsequent tragic deaths of over 2.5 million southern Sudanese and the displacement of more than 4 million people. You were a strong supporter of the 2002 Sudan Peace Act which provided a framework for peace negotiations that yielded the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending a 22-year civil war and providing for democratic transformation for Sudan and a referendum for southern Sudan and Abyei if unity was not made attractive. You were among the loudest to protest the attacks, later identified as genocide, in Darfur by the Sudan regime and its Janjaweed militia. Subsequently, you proposed a number of measures, including a no-fly zone, to protect millions of innocent men, women and children who were subjected to violent deaths, wide-spread rape, complete destruction of homes and property, and forced displacements. You understood Bashir’s propensity for dishonoring agreements, and when free and fair elections did not occur in Sudan, you, as the Vice President, pledged U.S. support for the right of southern Sudanese to vote in a referendum for independence. Later in 2013, as South Sudan and the Bashir regime struggled with issues of separation and attacks by the regime were ongoing in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, you affirmed the Obama Administration’s “commitment to a durable and lasting peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan.” You have helped shape U.S. policy on Sudan for decades, and you are the right person to lead effective U.S. engagement in Sudan at this critical time.
As you stated in an April 2007 hearing on Darfur, the U.S. policy on Sudan requires “a comprehensive approach to what is a complex problem...that will require the kind of resources, coordination, and sustained engagement at the highest levels.” This remains true today. The recently passed Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Fiscal Transparency Act of 2020, helps to identify that comprehensive approach. It outlines an ambitious agenda for the Sudanese transitional government and for U.S. engagement in support of the transition, and it includes mechanisms to assess the progress of both. Implementation of the Act and support for the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement require the sustained engagement and resources of the U.S. that you called for in 2007 due to the complexities of Sudan, the short timeframe to achieve significant outcomes, and the fragility of the state. Sudan remains vulnerable, in large part, due to the ongoing presence of the National Congress Party and other negative forces that are still very much engaged throughout Sudan and are seeking to undermine the movement for freedom, peace and justice and the new civilian-led transitional government.
At an April 2008 hearing on Darfur, you earnestly asked, “what will it take to change the circumstances on the ground?” The people of Sudan, those who fought against oppression and those, especially youth and women, who peacefully protested, showed us what it would take. Now, they need your support to help secure what they have achieved at great cost and to avoid a return to dangerous leadership, violent conflict and humanitarian crises that ultimately undermine U.S. and international security. The people of Sudan must be able to hold free and fair elections so that they can recover and build their country. The U.S. must not make the mistake again of under-investing in this process. You were right in your response to the Council on Foreign Relations that “the United States cannot afford to miss this moment to engage with African youth and to offer them a window into the American model of democracy.” Sudan can be YOUR model for this type of U.S. engagement in Africa and the remarkable achievements of the Sudanese people should be showcased at the planned Global Summit for Democracy.
Thank you for your thoughtful assessment and consideration of this urgent matter. The expertise you have acquired over the years on Sudan and your commitment to promoting democracy and human rights worldwide combined with the extraordinary removal of a brutal dictatorship by the Sudanese people suggests that you are the President for this moment in time. Please do not miss this opportunity to effect the change in Sudan that you have worked towards for decades. Please commit the necessary personnel and financial resources to support the people of Sudan in their determination for freedom, enduring peace and restorative justice. Please do not wait. The situation is urgent, and the opportunities are great. Please appoint a U.S. Ambassador and a Special Presidential Envoy for Sudan.
Sincerely,
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