President Barack Obama said Monday the humanitarian crisis in Darfur has worsened, but global outrage over the situation in the embattled region of western Sudan region could pressure Sudanese leaders to allow the return of expelled aid workers.
Obama said he understands the conflict in Sudan would not be easy to solve, but the United States and the world cannot sit idly by.
"This is going to be a very difficult task. It will be a time-consuming task," a solemn Obama said in the White House's Roosevelt Room, with advisers and lawmakers sharing a table and aides lining the wall. "We don't expect any solutions overnight to the long-standing problems there."
Obama and his special envoy to Sudan, J. Scott Gration, met on Monday on the eve of an open-ended trip to Africa by Gration and other White House officials. They head to Africa on Tuesday to meet with leaders about a number of challenges, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's decision to expel 13 aid groups.
In his order against the agencies, most operating in Darfur, al-Bashir accused them of spying for an international court that issued an arrest warrant against him on March 4 for war crimes in the western Sudanese region. Al-Bashir also shut down three local aid groups, including one of the largest operating in Darfur.
The United Nations estimates that the expulsions threaten more than 3 million people with the loss of food aid, health care or suitable drinking water. International groups issued complaints, which Obama praised.
"Fortunately, what's happened in Darfur has touched so many people around the world, and we have seen such an extraordinary mobilization of advocates, many of whom are sitting at this table. ... I actually think that America can speak effectively with one voice and bring the moral and other elements of our stature to bear in trying to deal with this situation."
Sudan's Arab-led government has been battling ethnic African rebels in Darfur since 2003. Up to 300,000 people have been killed, and 2.7 million have been driven from their homes.
A dour Obama had a grim assessment: "There has been a long-standing humanitarian crisis there, prompted by displacement and genocide that has been taking place. There have been a series of negotiations around resolving this crisis in Sudan. It has not gotten resolved, and it is now worsening."
Gration, a former combat pilot, was an adviser to Obama during his presidential campaign on a range of military and national security issues. He accompanied then-Sen. Obama to Africa in 2006, a visit that included a stop in eastern Chad to see refugees from Darfur.
Advocates who met with Obama ahead of the trip said they were optimistic Gration would explain Sudan faces a choice: either continue with the policies or face decreasing international support. Save Darfur Coalition President Jerry Fowler also said he was reassured by Obama's recent statements, including when he called expulsion of the aid workers an unacceptable situation.
"The coalition is also hopeful that Gration will soon travel to key capitals to directly engage with leadership and garner support for multilateral efforts to convince, and if necessary compel, the Bashir regime to reopen humanitarian access and make real progress toward achieving a true peace in Darfur."
Obama, for his part, said Gration's immediate emphasis would be to bring the rival groups together to permanently end the conflict, which seemed a major challenge; as reporters were led from the room, Obama turned to Gration: "All right, brother. Good luck."
