August 26, 2010President Barack ObamaThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500Dear President Obama: We, the undersigned groups, are greatly concerned by reports that you will soon be making a decisionregarding U.S. engagement with Sudan that could have profound consequences for the people of Sudan. While we are encouraged by recent reports that your administration is deploying a high-level team of diplomats to Sudan, we believe a more robust set of tools must be employed to ensure not only a peacefulreferendum on Southern independence, but also peace in all Sudanese regions, including Darfur, throughthe referendum and beyond.Mr. President, your policy as spelled out in the Sudan Policy Review released last October was the rightone. After an extensive internal review, your administration recognized that the Khartoum regime andthose like it will respond only to a robust package that contains both incentives for concrete steps toward peace, and firm pressures and consequences for behavior that makes peace more elusive. However, it appears that some in your administration are currently advocating for an incentives-basedapproach focused on the short-term goal of a peaceful referendum. While we agree that this goal is acritical one, we strongly believe that this approach will only ensure more backsliding in the future by anemboldened regime in Khartoum. We must also not lose focus on resolving the worsening humanitarian and security crisis in Darfur as theGovernment of Sudan continues its track record of abuses and violence in Darfur and throughout Sudan.Since last April alone, the Government of Sudan has:

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Deliberately restricted humanitarian aid for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Darfur, aswell as peacekeepers’ movement and effectiveness

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Expelled humanitarian aid workers and made expulsion threats against peacekeepers and other aid organizations working in the region

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Presided over rigged national elections

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Cracked down on human rights, detaining political opposition figures and human rights activists

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Censored Sudanese media and targeted news outlets and journalists

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Failed to act in good faith to prepare for the January 2011 referenda

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Failed to cooperate with the U.N. Security Council and the International Criminal Courtregarding outstanding arrest warrants against President Bashir and others accused of crimes inDarfur Given these recent actions by the Government of Sudan, the looming potential of a return to war between North and South, and the deteriorating situation in Darfur, your leadership on Sudan—with a focus on both incentives and additional pressures—is urgently needed.Sincerely,