THE UNITED STATES is threatening Sudan with more sanctions unless the Khartoum government stops obstructing the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to Darfur. While peacekeepers are desperately needed to provide safety and humanitarian access, more will be required to achieve conditions for sustainable peace. With the Darfur Peace Agreement in tatters and political talks at a standstill, refocusing on a development horizon would not only yield practical benefits to today's humanitarian emergency. It could also positively influence the UN's efforts to bring Darfuri factions together and broker an accord with Khartoum.
Darfuris, UN officials, representatives from donor countries, and humanitarian and post-conflict experts recently got together to discuss new approaches to overcoming the current impasse. They agreed that Darfur's extreme poverty is one of the prime sources of unrest and that a lasting solution will need to address the root causes of the conflict.
Darfuris support the international community's three-pronged strategy - security, relief, and recovery - but insist that focusing on development must not be put on the back burner. Instead of sequencing, they believe activities should be syncopated so they occur simultaneously and are mutually reinforcing.
This might be possible in an ideal world. However, the ongoing spiral of deadly violence makes this multitrack approach nearly impossible. Darfuris are trying to overcome this challenge while remaining steely eyed about their predicament.
The ongoing violence has discouraged many countries from contributing troops. No country wants to pour manpower into a problem with no end in sight.
The international community is unlikely to start the process of planning and investing in post-conflict until after a peace deal has been negotiated and Darfur has been stabilized.
Even if there is an accord and peacekeepers are deployed, it could take years to see an improvement of conditions on the ground.
Donor countries will have to evaluate security before conducting assessment missions. Then the United Nation and World Bank would convene a donor's conference launching a consolidated appeal. Once pledges are made, they will have to be collected. Based on a determination of local capacity, experts will be recruited and rollout plans put in place. Even then, scaling up field operations will proceed only as cash-flow and security permits. Many times before, we have witnessed a cessation of hostilities that is undermined by those who benefit from ongoing conflict.
Right now Darfur has the world's attention. However, another disaster in the Congo is already upon us - and more disasters are not far behind.
To capitalize on the moment and make the most of scarce resources, Darfuris want the United Nations to focus on the transition from relief to development, and engage donor and front-line states in envisioning post-conflict conditions.
Darfuris are exploring ways to bridge the gap between current conditions and the post-conflict phase. They are identifying quick impact projects that can be implemented immediately in relatively stable parts of Darfur less affected by the conflict. Darfuris have concluded that now is the time to define a peace dividend that addresses poverty and hunger, water, energy and infrastructure, health and education.
They make a compelling case for front-loading economic development. It costs $2.6 billion each year to support peacekeepers in Darfur - $300 per Darfuri. Even if the international community comes up with troops and bears this cost, its commitment will not be open-ended. Once the bill for peacekeeping is paid, experience shows that few funds will be available for development activities - a bargain at about $60 per person.
There is also an intangible value to incorporating the development dimension into peace talks for Darfur. Darfuris might believe that peace is possible once they see wells and latrines built, trees planted, and veterinary services being provided to livestock.
Not only could confidence-building measures energize political "consultations" and kick-start real negotiations. If the idea of initiating post-conflict arrangements during an ongoing conflict can help the current catastrophe in Darfur, the approach could also inform future efforts in other seemingly intractable conflicts.
Peace can not be just an abstract notion. It must also yield practical benefits if combatants are going to lay down their arms and agree to turn swords into ploughshares.
David L. Phillips is a visiting scholar at Columbia University's Center for the Study of Human Rights and a former senior adviser to the State Department.
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