Washington, D.C. — The decision of former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Chester Crocker to decline the position of special envoy to Sudan is another sign that pressure from two directions is straining efforts to end the country's 18-year-long war.
Crocker, who headed the State Department's Africa Bureau for eight years, is said to have concluded that conflicts inside and outside of the administration would make the job virtually impossible. When his name first surfaced there was objection to Crocker from Rep. Donald Payne of New Jersey -- a key Democratic party player in the powerful bi-partisan coalition that has formed on Sudan -- because of his role as the architect of the Reagan administration's "constructive engagement" with South Africa.
Objection to Crocker by Payne -- and following Payne's lead, the Congressional Black Caucus -- wasn't the only factor contributing to his reluctance to accept the role. Confliciting messages on Sudan seem to be coming from the White House and State Department.
Last month, President Bush described the Sudan as "an emergency zone in all human rights." He was announcing the appointment of U.S. Agency for International Development administrator Andrew Natsios as special humanitarian coordinator for Sudan. Natsios, Bush said, would oversee the distribution of humanitarian assistance in war zones in southern Sudan.
Khartoum reacted immediately with charges that the U.S. was continuing its biased approach to Sudan. "The U.S. is once again beating the drums of war to please and support the SPLA," said government spokesman, information minister Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani.
But last week, after the House adopted the 'Sudan Peace Act', State Department Deputy Spokesman Philip T. Reeker said the Department opposed a provision prohibiting companies from trading shares on the U.S. stock market without fully disclosing the nature of their business in Sudan. "Some of those disclosure requirements would undermine the independence and prerogative of the Securities and Exchange Commission," the federal regulatory body with oversight responsibility for stock exchanges, Reeker said.
The congressional coalition that pushed through the disclosure requirement shows no sign of backing away. The evangelical right, which forms an important part of the Bush constituency, also supports the disclosure requirement. They are urging the administration to arm rebels in the South.
Further complicating the calculation is pressure from the politically important National Conference of Catholic Bishops which, while critical of the Sudan government, has also condemned the main rebel group in the South -- the Sudan People's Liberation Movement -- for human rights abuses. The Conference is urging the administration to adopt a more even-handed approach to Sudan.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is said to feel that a more balanced policy offers the best hope for forging peace, but it is not clear how willing the White House is to go up against strong sentiment on Capitol Hill -- and increasingly in the general public -- that regards the government in Khartoum as a pariah.
The provision to bar foreign oil companies doing business in Sudan from selling securities in the United States passed the House of Representatives by a lopsided 422-2 vote.
"We don't have a coordinated policy," said one Capitol Hill aide involved with the issue. "We haven't had one for the last five years and won't have one."
With one eye on Sudan's oil resources, the administration appears to be taking measure of the domestic political winds. Although peace remains the official watchword, policy direction is far from clear. In February, an international task force, which included State Department and CIA officials, called for a major new diplomatic initiative to end the country's civil war. Criticizing the Clinton administration for making "little headway in ending Sudan's war," the panel proposed a "one Sudan, two systems" formula that would allow significantly expanded autonomy for the South, while preserving the country as a single state.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
A "full policy review" of Sudan by the Bush admnistration is underway, and members of Congress would like to know how far it has progressed. In a session scheduled for Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Africa is expected to demand some answers from Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Walter H. Kansteiner, III, who was sworn into office on June 4. The session will be closed to the public and the media.
It's all too much of a mess with too little freedom of diplomatic movement, Crocker is thought to have concluded. Domestic pressure groups on the right and on the left would handicap his efforts. At this point, the administration has put forward no other names. "Crocker was probably the best man for the job," said one observer. "You can't send a rank amateur out there. But who wants to walk into a minefield?"
