Live Blogging from Pledge 2 Protect (part one)

Just got here to the conference. Got here later than I wanted to, to plenary session. Am writing as fast as possible. Excuse any inaccuracies.

Michelle Gavin, National Security Council; Senior Director for African Affairs

She says that she is speaking in place of US Envoy Scott Gration.

1- Focus not just on what can be stopped, but what can be built.
2- We need multilateral support.
3- Hold the US government accountability.

Rabecca Hamilton, Author of the forthcoming book “The Promise of Engagement; Open Society Fellow; Visiting Fellow at the National Security Archives.

Rebecca is talking about whether or not Khartoum will go down a positive or negative track in terms of responding to bench marks toward peace and accountability. She predicts 5% that they go down positive track and in doing so they will be more engaged with the rest of the world. If they go down the negative track, we need a strong multilateral approach.

10:05 am EST
Mohahmmed Ahmed Abdallah, MD: Physician and Professor of Medicine at el-Fasher University in Darfur until recently.

From 1993 to today he’s been working in the ground and seen what is happening. He saw a fundamentalist approach to maintaining an Arabic country in Sudan. Not simply Muslim. Darfurians are Muslim. What happened in Darfur, Arab tribes were recruited to kill African tribes.

What is the vision of Darfuris to the United States policy. Let’s be frank: the people are very disappointed. They have seen no changes on the ground. When Bashir was indicted and Bashir responded by kicking out aid workers and the international community did next to nothing – it was a victory for Bashir and a victory for the genocidal regime of Khartoum (Sudan’s capital). The Darfuri people are disappointed.

Here’s what we need: the protection program. We need soldiers protected – right now soldiers cannot protect themselves, activists can’t protect themselves – how can refugees be protected?

The solution is that there is a bigger role for the human rights activists and the international community should play a bigger role. He is very grateful for all of the activists in the US for all that we are doing: Save Darfur, STAND, ENOUGH, and so many other humanitarian and advocacy organizations.

On Tuesday afternoon – at 3 pm, we can submit questions that Jerry Fowler will be asking Samantha Power and Scott Gration. Submit questions at standnow.org.

What is the administration doing and what are the activists doing? Scott Gration may be working his butt off to talk to multiple parties. But Gration alone is not enough. We need Obama and Clinton talking to China and talking to all parties involved. So we need high level engagement. As for activists, we need to be open to how to build a coalition in multi-lateral way.

As for the people of Sudan: what do they feel and what do they want from the US government? There are political parties who want to rebuild the country and they need more support. 1- Sudan needs to be a top priority for the US government. 2- The US needs to get involved better with the African Union because Bashir depends on the African Union for support.

There is also an economic crisis in Sudan – and the US can utilize that to engage the government of Sudan to have at least, a path through. When the United States government works with partner countries and puts better pressure on the AU, Bashir has less wiggle room.

We are entering a very challenging period coming up. With the elections in Sudan next year. There will be more coming out throughout the conference.