Kerry is in Sudan for week leading to referendum - George Clooney has also made Sudan an issue

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry (D-MA) arrived in Sudan on Tuesday, where he will spend the entire week in the lead up to the long-awaited Jan. 9 referendum that could lead to Southern Sudan's emergence as an independent country.

"Sudan is at a pivotal moment," Kerry said in a statement. "The United States played an important role in ending the civil war in Sudan and making the vote this Sunday possible. Our commitment to the Sudanese people will extend beyond the referendum, whatever its outcome, as we work to improve economic and humanitarian conditions in the region."

This is Kerry's fourth trip to Sudan since first traveling there in April 2009. He met with senior leaders from the North and the South during his last trip in October. Last September, Kerry introduced the Sudan Peace and Stability Act of 2010, which calls for the U.S. government to provide increased aid to Southern Sudan, develop contingency planning in case violence breaks out, review existing sanctions if the country splits into two, appoint a full-time senior official to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and develop a multi-year strategy for helping end the Darfur tragedy.

Clooney appeared on ABC's "This Week" to talk about continuing crisis in the African nation as the country faces a heated secession referendum a week from now.

When asked if Obama has kept his vows to tackle issues in the war-torn nation, Clooney said, "Yes, he has."

"It's a tough one to keep, you know?" he said. "There's -- it's a very complicated situation. It is going to get a lot more complicated. We met with the president. The president seems to be very much on top of the issue.

“We believe that the right signals are being sent both in North and South in terms of the upcoming referendum and respecting the results. So the environment, we think, is constructive leading into this weekend,” U.S. state department spokesperson Philip J. Crowley told reporters during the briefing on Monday.

“I would say at this point that we are optimistic about the referendum this coming weekend. Sudan and Southern Sudan have come a long way over the past few months,” he added.

He acknowledged that there are still outstanding issues to be resolved between the North and South in reference to post-referendum arrangements such as citizenship, wealth sharing, international agreements, national debt and border demarcation.

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Still, the Obama administration has done some concrete things. In November, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., traveled to Sudan with two Obama administration officials -- Scott Gration, Obama's special envoy for Sudan, and Michelle Gavin, a senior member of the National Security Council staff -- to press the administration's case.

"Darfur remains a critical issue to the U.S. relationship with the government and to the future of Sudan," Kerry said in a statement after the trip. "I made clear in every meeting that many steps on the road to improved relations could only be taken with real progress in achieving lasting peace and security in Darfur."

Gration made another trip to Darfur in December. An additional official, Dane Smith, was named a senior adviser on Darfur to intensify efforts. On Dec. 16, Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said that Darfur "remains a top priority for the United States. This is reflected in the recent appointment of Ambassador Dane Smith as our Senior Advisor on Darfur. We remain seriously concerned by the violence and humanitarian needs in Darfur, as well as the lack of accountability. At the same time, all states must redouble their efforts to stem the flow of arms into Darfur and faithfully implement the U.N. sanctions regime."

We see evidence that the Obama administration is pressuring Sudan to stop violence in Darfur. It's not clear that the pressure is effective. Until we see more definitive evidence on which way Darfur will go, we're leaving our rating at In the Works.

"The speech by President Bashir here (on December 31) as well as his comments in Juba yesterday are extremely encouraging," Kerry told journalists, after a meeting in the Sudanese capital with influential presidential adviser Ghazi Salaheddine.

"They're very positive, very constructive, and I think it sets a good stage for the events that begin in the next days," Kerry said.

Almost four million southern Sudanese are registered to participate in the January 9-15 referendum, during which they will get the chance to vote on whether to secede or to remain united with the north.

"We look forward to a successful referendum which is the precursor to a stronger and new relationship with the United States and other countries," Kerry added.

Kerry, who is also the Chairman of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, arrived to El Fasher along with seven members of the delegation. They were welcomed by UNAMID (UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur) Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari and other senior officials.
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The delegation further paid a visit to the governor of North Darfur. Then, they flew to Shangil Tobaya, approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of El Fasher, to visit internally displaced people after clashes in the area last December between armed movements and government forces.

UNAMID peacekeepers were recognized for their efforts to preserve peace and stability to the troubled region that just emerged from two decades of war between the northern-based Government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in the south.

"We have great respect for what you're doing, and we hope that your lives and the lives of the Darfurians and of the Sudanese will change over the course of the next year much more dramatically," Kerry told peacekeepers.