Pressuring Khartoum
Since 2005, 20 states, including New Jersey, have adopted Sudan divestment policies. Now the Senate has an opportunity to encourage other states to follow suit and at the same time send a message in support of Darfur as Khartoum enters into negotiations with rebel groups.
The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (SADA) is a companion to a bill that passed the House of Representatives on July 31 by a 418-1 vote. It would authorize state and local governments to divest from companies that support Sudan and enable the genocide in Darfur. It would prohibit federal contracts with those companies unless they implement substantial humanitarian programs in response to the Darfur genocide. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs voted unanimously last week to send the bill to the Senate floor.
The legislation is not a shoo-in. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), for example, withdrew a proposed amendment that would have empowered President Bush to override decisions by local governments, saying he didn’t want to give local officials authority in foreign policy decisions. Others may share Hagel’s objections, and a similar amendment would render divestment legislation toothless, Darfur activists say.
The State Department is also wary of the legislation, worried that it will send the wrong message to the Sudanese government “at a time when it is actually being helpful with peace talks.”
And yet analysts say the government of Sudan has shown a sensitivity and responsiveness to economic pressure. Besides, diplomacy and political pressure have done little to stop the slaughter in Darfur. The current divestment model is tailored to target only those companies that partner with the Sudan government, prop up its military, and impart little or no benefit to the country’s underprivileged.
The Save Darfur Coalition is urging supporters of the legislation to contact their senators and ask them to support SADA. Now more than ever, they are convinced of a simple truth: Money talks.
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