President Obama’s predilection for finding diplomatic compromises for knotty world conflicts won him the Nobel Peace Prize, but it doesn’t always play well at home, where engagement can be ridiculed as naïve or wishy-washy. Sometimes, though, it’s the only way to thread the needle. And the president seems to have done just that with his long-awaited new policy on Sudan.

Satisfying though it is to continue to try to isolate Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir — and as an indicted war criminal, he deserves nothing more — Obama is correct in saying that this policy did not work under the Bush administration. The new carrot-and-stick approach places greater emphasis on incentives, but also warns of additional punishments if the government in Khartoum does not end the abuses that have left millions of people dead or displaced in Darfur and, most crucially, does not implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that is supposed to end the bloody struggle between Sudan’s northern and southern regions.

Preventing the horrifying possibility of a return to civil war — the last one killed over 2 million people, 10 times more than Darfur’s fatalities — must be the highest priority for all who wish an end to one of Africa’s ongoing nightmares. The White House remains vague on the details of its new approach, and that makes activists understandably wary.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The road to peace in Sudan is paved with diplomatic, military and ethical minefields, but at least now there’s a sensible path to take and an administration willing to lead.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount