The African Union’s decision to nominate Sudan for the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) elicited justifiable outrage. Pressure from human rights groups and governments led Kenya to announce its own election bid, causing Sudan to withdraw. This was a welcome development; the notion of the genocidal government sitting on the most visible U.N. human rights body was…
Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton travels to South Sudan as part of her two-week tour of Africa. During her visit she will meet with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and discuss the country’s ongoing crisis with Sudan. Clinton’s visit takes place a day after the two countries failed to meet the deadline imposed by the United Nations Security Council Resolution…
For the African Union (AU) Commission, the election earlier this month of South Africa’s Home Affairs minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, as chair offers a chance to address issues that have hindered the organization’s image and its impact on the continent. The new leader should provide leadership in pressing the organization to respond more effectively to the…
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has caused enormous suffering and instability in central Africa, launching violent attacks in Uganda, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and newly independent South Sudan. While Congress and the Obama Administration have provided substantial political, financial, and military support aimed at…
Abstract: Despite the comprehensive peace agreement on Sudan signed on January 9, 2005, several key issues have not been resolved: important political and economic issues, principally the future of Abyei; five contested border areas that were identified in 2005; citizenship; debt relief; and the underlying issue of oil-revenue sharing. Close to 70 percent of Sudan’s oil…
On January 9, southern Sudanese voted for their independence from the government in Khartoum. In the days leading up to the referendum, the international community feared delay, bloodshed, or the complete breakdown of the peace process. Few expected the referendum to take place on time and as peacefully as it did. While Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has…
In a Heritage in Focus podcast special, Rob Bluey and Tina Korbe discuss the president's budget, and special guest Ambassador Richard Williamson discusses the partition vote in Sudan. David Weinberger hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen to more Heritage in Focus podcasts, return to the Podcast…
Abstract: Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions are ominous in light of its hostile foreign policy and longstanding support for terrorism. But Iran's repeated threats to annihilate the state of Israel while it develops the world's most dangerous weapons have created an even more explosive situation. If diplomatic efforts to defuse the situation fail, Israel may see no other…
Brett Schaefer discussing the trial of a Sudanese woman who faces 40 lashes for wearing pants.…
The 2009 Durban Review Conference (commonly referred to as Durban II) was the follow-up to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa. The 2001 conference was hijacked by nations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that used it as a platform to criticize…
Members of Congress are considering several bills designed to combat climate change. Chief among them is Senate bill 2191--America's Climate Security Act of 2007--spearheaded by Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA). This bill would set a limit on the emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide from the combustion of coal, oil, and natural…
Ma Ying-jeou, inaugurated as Taiwan's new president on May 20, 2008, has pledged to strengthen Taiwan's economic and political relationships with China. At the same time, he has good reason to preserve Taiwan's separate identity, and the U.S. has good reason to support him. Taiwan is one of the most dynamic democracies in Asia and one of America's top 10 trade partners.…
The United Nations has a well-earned reputation for mismanagement and vulnerability to corruption and fraud. In the past few years alone, the U.N. has been embroiled in numerous scandals, including: The Iraqi Oil-for-Food scandal that Saddam Hussein used to generate over $10 billion in illegal revenue, according to the U.S. Government Accountability…
President Obama's emphasis on climate change has notable implications for U.S.-China relations. On her inaugural trip to Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought to expand the Sino-American Strategic Economic Dialog to include climate change among America's chief China policy priorities.[1] Making climate change a high priority is a mistake. It…
Despite endless rounds of shadowboxing with the dodgy Sudanese government over the ongoing nightmare in Darfur, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is asking us to give appeasement, er, diplomacy, one more chance. That's not going to help: It's going to take some highly credible threats to get Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir to end what many call the…
After attending the three summits--G-20, NATO, and the EU--President Obama arrived in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday for the final stop on his inaugural European tour. Obama's visit to Turkey highlights the importance Washington attaches to this country as a key regional player, a veteran NATO ally, and an influential state with a predominately Muslim population. During…
It sounds nice to say there could be a treaty that would make all nations responsible when it comes to their arms...…
On March 26, the Nigerian senate proved that President Goodluck Jonathan’s refusal to grant amnesty to terrorist...…
After several days of rocket salvos launched at Israeli civilians, Israel responded yesterday with air strikes that...…
Less than four minutes into last night’s presidential debate, Governor Mitt Romney listed northern Mali as one of the...…
The U.N.’s Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) conference released a second draft text late in the afternoon on Thursday. After...…
Amid the lawless bloodbath that is Somalia, the northern state of Somaliland remains a rare example of functioning...…
Not even a year after South Sudan’s independence from Sudan, the world’s newest country is already on the brink of war...…
Internal ethnic strife, a deep-rooted but often overlooked challenge facing newly independent South Sudan, has recently...…
Since South Sudan gained independence last January, the world’s newest country has many challenges to face. The...…
This morning Republicans will have their last chance to get answers about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau...…