Washington, DC — President Bush's special peace envoy to Sudan, former Senator John Danforth, is "absolutely right" to be doubtful about the chances of reaching a peace settlement, says former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Susan Rice.
Asked Saturday at a press briefing after his first visit to Sudan, about the chances of achieving a peace deal there, Danforth said he "wouldn't bet much on this."
Neither Sudan's government nor the rebel SPLA are serious about peace, says Rice: "They haven't been serious in years, if ever. I do not believe the conflict in Sudan is ripe for resolution."
In a wide-ranging interview with allAfrica.com, Rice discussed Sudan and other African issues, as well as key events during her tenure in the Clinton Administration. Though describing herself as "pessimistic" about Sudan peace prospects, Rice said the enormous toll of warfare in Sudan, "necessitates that any responsible administration continue to look for openings and opportunities, because it may not be evident at the outset when the situation does change and mature and becomes more ripe for resolution."
In this respect, said Rice of the Bush Administration's efforts, "I give them credit for trying."
While blaming both sides for Sudan's continuing warfare, Rice's harshest words were aimed at the Khartoum government. They are "dishonest" about human rights violations, Rice said. And despite Sudan's cooperation with the U.S. war on global terrorism, they "should not be allowed a get-out-of-jail-free card on human rights."
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Rice said the Bush administration's apparently increased interest in Africa was a "good thing", but charged that with the war on terrorism, money for Africa was "being cannibalized to fund efforts on the foreign operations side in other parts of the world."
Putting "money and muscle where our mouths are," is the measure of effective policy, Rice said, defending the Clinton administration's approach to Africa as more than symbolism. Increased development money, new support for peacekeeping and fighting crime, and support for "critical transitions" in Nigeria and South Africa were part of the Clinton administration's legacy, she said. But despite hard work, "conflict resolution was a mixed bag."
Inaction in response to the 1994 Rwanda genocide, "was one of the greatest failings of the Clinton administration," said Rice. Blame, however, lay "not just with the [Clinton] administration, but Congress, and our public and our press."
The only useful intervention in the Rwanda crisis would have been direct military intervention, said Rice. "I defy you to find me a member of Congress, or an editorial board, who, in the early weeks, was arguing that the United States ought to intervene with American forces." If Clinton had ordered troops in, "Congress would have eaten him for lunch."
The balance sheet of the 1990s showed growth in the number of democracies on the continent, Rice said. Economic and political reform was underway but "It's two steps forward and one step backward."
Africa is changing, says Rice, but "it's going to be a long-term transformation, if it is to succeed."
