Eric Witte August 9th, 2008
The African Union has suspended Mauritania’s membership until constitutional order is restored in the country. The move follows the U.S. government’s decision to suspend non-humanitarian assistance and indications that the European Union will follow suit. Coup leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is asking for international understanding, but sounds nervous. If the international community can maintain and ramp up pressure on the junta, it’s hard to see how it will be able to hang on to power. So far, so good.
Eric Witte August 9th, 2008
The government in Khartoum has agreed to a power-sharing deal in the disputed region of Abyei. A member of the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement is to serve as administrator of the oil-rich area, with a local pro-Khartoum Arab to serve as his deputy.
Assuming this deal holds (and past agreements haven’t, so don’t hold your breath), one wonders whether Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir hasn’t entered the compromise in order to strengthen the case that he’s an indispensible guarantor of peace with the south. A settlement in disputed Abyei could serve to dampen international enthusiasm to see al-Bashir handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if ICC judges approve the prosecutor’s request for Darfur-related charges of genocide against him. In any case, the possibility should be considered in the larger debate over whether peace and justice are at odds in Sudan.
