diplomacy - what a concept!

Kerry leads Senate delegation to Darfur

Dialogue - real dialogue - needs to be the first step in making progress so it's a positive development to see John Kerry in Darfur. Regardless of what Europe, UN and North America think about the government in Khartoum, the Sudanese government remains popular enough in the Arab world. If we have any hope to make progress there we are going to need to do a better job of reaching out to our partners in the region and even the government leaders in Sudan. We're also going to need to work on this issue with China, who remain influential in the country. Going in, guns a blazin' has been proven to be a costly and ineffective strategy for the US.

The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, will lead a delegation to Sudan's Darfur region, U.S. officials said on Monday, in a possible sign of a growing willingness to engage with Khartoum.

"This is significant," a U.S. diplomatic source told Reuters. "It is the first Congressional delegation to Sudan we have had since 2007. Like the U.S. envoy's current visit, it is a new tack."

The new U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, who is currently touring the country, made an unusually positive statement on his arrival in Khartoum last week, telling reporters he was looking for friendship and cooperation from the Sudanese government.

(Americablog)