President Bush Addresses
United Nations General Assembly
"To the people of Darfur: You have suffered unspeakable violence, and my nation has called these atrocities what they are -- genocide. For the last two years, America joined with the international community to provide emergency food aid and support for an African Union peacekeeping force. Yet your suffering continues. The world must step forward to provide additional humanitarian aid -- and we must strengthen the African Union force that has done good work, but is not strong enough to protect you. The Security Council has approved a resolution that would transform the African Union force into a blue-helmeted force that is larger and more robust. To increase its strength and effectiveness, NATO nations should provide logistics and other support. The regime in Khartoum is stopping the deployment of this force. If the Sudanese government does not approve this peacekeeping force quickly, the United Nations must act. Your lives and the credibility of the United Nations is at stake. So today I'm announcing that I'm naming a Presidential Special Envoy -- former USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios -- to lead America's efforts to resolve the outstanding disputes and help bring peace to your land."
-- President George W. Bush, September 19, 2006 On Friday, May 5, 2006, The Government Of Sudan And The Largest Darfur Rebel Group Signed An Agreement And Took A Step Toward Peace. We are still far from our ultimate goal of returning millions of displaced people to their homes so they can have a life without fear, but we can now see a way forward. The President is particularly grateful for the leadership of President Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo.
The President Has Called The Massive Violence An Act Of Genocide - No Other Word Captures The Extent Of This Tragedy. A 22-year civil war between north and south took more than 2 million lives before a peace agreement that the United States helped to broker was signed early last year. At about the same time, another conflict was raging to the west - in Sudan's vast Darfur region. Darfur rebel groups had attacked government outposts. To fight that rebellion, Sudan's regime armed and unleashed a horse-mounted militia called the Janjaweed, which targeted not only the rebels but the tribes thought to be supporting them. The Janjaweed murdered men and raped women and beat children to death and burned homes and farms and poisoned wells, stole land to graze their own herds, and destroyed hundreds of villages. About 200,000 people have died from conflict, famine, and disease, and more than 2 million were forced into camps. A ceasefire was declared in this conflict in April 2004, but it has been routinely violated by all sides.
With This Peace Agreement, Darfur Has A Chance To Begin Anew. Sudan's government has promised to disarm the Janjaweed by mid-October, and to punish all those who violate the ceasefire. The main rebel group has agreed to withdraw into specified areas. Its forces will eventually be disarmed as well, and some of its units will be integrated into the national army and police. The African Union will meet a week from today, and the President urges its members to help implement this agreement.
The President's Plan To Assist Darfur Has Two Critical Components:
First, America And Other Nations Must Act To Prevent A Humanitarian Emergency. America is the leading provider of humanitarian aid, and this year alone we account for more than 85 percent of the food distributed by the World Food Program in Sudan. The situation, however, remains dire.
Second, America And Other Nations Must Work Quickly To Increase Security On The Ground In Darfur.
While America Is Providing Aid To The Suffering People In Darfur, Al Qaeda Wants To Add To The Misery By Killing Those Who Want Only To Help. In a recent audiotape, Osama Bin Laden attacked American efforts in Sudan and urged his followers to kill international peacekeepers in Darfur. While the terrorists are attempting to exploit the misery of fellow Muslims and encourage more death, America and other responsible nations are fighting misery and helping a desperate region come back to life. The contrast could not be clearer.
In Africa, promise and opportunity sit side by side with disease, war, and desperate poverty. This threatens both a core value of the United Statespreserving human dignity and our strategic prioritycombating global terror. American interests and American principles, therefore, lead in the same direction: we will work with others for an African continent that lives in liberty, peace, and growing prosperity. Together with our allies and friends, we must help strengthen Africa's fragile states, help build indigenous capability to secure porous borders, and help build up the law enforcement and intelligence infrastructure to deny havens for terrorists. An ever more lethal environment exists in Africa as local civil wars spread beyond borders to create regional war zones. Forming coalitions of the willing and cooperative security arrangements are key to confronting these emerging transnational threats. President Bush is committed to improving security in Darfur, finding a political solution to the crisis, and meeting urgent humanitarian needs. Learn more about Sudan by visiting www.state.gov Africa's great size and diversity requires a security strategy that focuses on bilateral engagement and builds coalitions of the willing. This Administration will focus on three interlocking strategies for the region: Ultimately the path of political and economic freedom presents the surest route to progress in sub-Saharan Africa, where most wars are conflicts over material resources and political access often tragically waged on the basis of ethnic and religious difference. The transition to the African Union with its stated commitment to good governance and a common responsibility for democratic political systems offers opportunities to strengthen democracy on the continent. 1. Strategic approach 2. Clear policy priorities 3. Principles of bilateral engagementDarfur Agreement: A Step toward Peace
Africa Policy
Sudan's Darfur Region
Africa: National Security Strategy
Three Pillars of Bush African Policy
Africa Growth and Opportunity Act
HIV / AIDS