Former State Department Official Charged with Illegally Representing Sudan

The federal government charged former state department official turned lobbyinst, Robert J. Cabelly, with violating U.S. sanctions by illegally representing the Sudanese government. A federal indictment accuses Cabelly of money laundering, passport fraud, making false statements and working as an unregistered agent of Sudan. According to the indictment, Cabelly's illegal representation of Sudan earned him hundreds of thousands of dollars which the Sudanese government directly deposited into accounts in the Cook Islands. Cabelly worked on Africa issues for the State Department in the eighties and nineties and took on the authorized role of lobbying for Sudan under the Bush Administration. Cabelly terminated the contract and waiver to work with Sudan, but apparently continued to covertly advise the Sudanese government and engage in commercial activities on behalf of Sudan. Cabelly's interaction with Sudan violated the trade embargo imposed against Sudan in 1997 and continued by the Obama Administration. The U.S. instigated the 1997 trade embargo to pressure Khartoum into ending the genocide in Darfur and to stop aiding and abetting terrorist groups.

For more information see: State Department Official Turned Lobbyist Is Accused of Illegally Working for Sudan.

New U.S. Policy Towards Sudan

The Obama Administration outlined a new strategy for engaging Sudan this past week. The "incentives and pressures" strategy is meant to avoid isolating Khartoum, while pushing Sudan to build international confidence by ensuring the safe return of Darfuri refugees, a successful referendum process, and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan. Major General Scott Gration, the administration's special envoy to Sudan, is implementing the new policy by listening and talking to Omar Hassan Al-Bashir's government. The Obama Administration believes engagement will work in Sudan because Al-Bashir fears for his survival, wants to be a player on the international stage, and wants to work President Obama. The strategy offers up the potential for lightened sanctions, so long as Al-Bashir's government ensures that Sudan does not shelter terrorists. According to Sudan experts, history indicates that Al-Bashir cannot be trusted, however many policy makers believe that engaging Khartoum is the best way to prevent a resumption of civil war between north and south Sudan.

For more information see : Obama's Sudan Strategy, Testing Obama's Sudan Policy, and What Does Engagement with Sudan Mean?