SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Foreign Policy – Sudan Has a Window of Opportunity. The West Shouldn’t Squander It
Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) calls for the West to “attach the highest priority” in helping Sudanese civilian leaders navigate the “treacherous” path to a rights-respecting government.
Roth argues that the overriding US aim should be to help the Sudanese people in their quest for a more transparent and accountable government based on the rule of law. Thus, Roth urged the US to condition Sudan’s delisting as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on human rights benchmarks that aim to help civilian authorities assert the rule of law over security forces, and fulfil the social and economic rights of the Sudanese people.
In addition, Roth called for the US to impose targeted individual sanctions against members of Sudanese security forces “implicated in grave violations,” and for the US to urge Gulf states to discontinue their support for those individuals.