How President George W Bush Tackled War in Sudan

By Ret. Ambassador Khidir Haroun, PhD.

President George W Bush’s efforts to stop the civil war in Sudan must be considered a historic success for the American diplomacy to be proud of . It has been a real Mission Accomplished, that ended the longest running civil war in Africa between the Sudanese Government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army of South Sudan.

The narrative goes that on January 5th Mr. Karl Rove, a senior advisor and deputy chief of staff, met with the Religious Right Organization upon their request. As they helped the President-elect to win, they requested Mr. Rove to place the ending of the civil war in Sudan on the top list of priorities of the president. They cited the fact that the Khartoum government, with the help of the Chinese and others was able to discover and export oil – giving it an edge over the rebels in the south – leading to the subjugation of the Christian south.

The bright side of that American constructive engagement was that it had ended the blood bath that claimed millions of innocent lives. President Bush fulfilled his promise to his Christian supporters by stopping the war and saving their fellow Christians. The southern Sudanese decided in fair and free referendum to have their own independent country.

The designation of the Khartoum government as a pariah government under Bill Clinton did not however deter the new administration from dealing with Sudan.

Courageously, it embarked on work and chose a qualified team to mediate between the two beleaguered parties. They set special programs, Sudan Programs, at the Department of State with subject matter experts from different federal agencies.

It named a respectable Senator Jack Danforth as Special Presidential Envoy to Sudan reporting directly to the President. Senator Danforth began by facilitating admission of humanitarian relief to the Nuba Mountains.

The SPLM’s leader, Dr John Garang, led his organization to negotiation by himself, while Khartoum sent the First Vice President Ali Othman M Taha.

The role of Americans along with Great Britain, Norway and IGAD was to mediate and bridge gaps when necessary while refraining from dictating provisions.

President Bush sent to Khartoum his secretaries of State; Colin Powell, Condy Rice, deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, former USAID director Andrew Natsios and Senator Danforth to showcase his seriousness for peace. These tremendous efforts reaped the harvest of peace and the two fighting parties reached the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Unfortunately, after peace was realized, the administration turned its back on Sudan and that allowed some hostile American groups to derail that path toward normalizing relations between US and Sudan and paved the way instead for the cessation of South Sudan.

After Bashir was removed in 2019, the help that needed in Sudan was to encourage all Sudanese to sit down to decide their country trajectory.

Instead US, UN, EU, IGAD and AU decided to do that themselves with a handpicked tiny group of Sudanese parties! They compiled a document called, ” Structural Agreement” and asked others who rejected it to sign or it would be war! Two days later, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), former notorious Janjaweed, launched this ongoing war and drove more than ten million civilians from their own homes in greater Khartoum. When those sought refuge in Wad Madani City, the RSF followed them there and expelled them from not only the city but population of the entire Jazeera state. Now more than fifteen million Sudanese are scattered in neighboring countries while many other lost lives and loved ones.

Unfortunately, these vicious crimes perpetrated by the RSF are still described by American officials as “a war between two generals”!

The ugliest part of this uncalled for intervention of the abovementioned countries and organizations, is the creation of the conducive atmosphere for the warwhile turning a blind eye on the United Arab Emirates aggression. The U.A.E. provides the RSF militia with mercenaries and allegedly with American made lethal weapons.

Sadly, the current Administration of President Joseph Biden did nothing similar to what the Bush Administration had done. The current special envoy, former Congressman Tom Perriello who is reporting to the Department of State instead of the President has nothing to offer but to bring life to the dead ‘Structural Agreement’ that caused this tragic ugly war and recycled the false narrative of ” the two generals war” without setting foot in Sudan! The inaction and failing to stop UAE aggression on Sudan is tantamount to deliberate efforts to kill more Sudanese in accomplice with RSF militia and the UAE.