Rebecca Hamilton, a current fellow with Open Society Institute and HLS alum (2007), wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe commenting on the potential positive consequences of the anticipated arrest of the president of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, for crimes in Darfur. While immense problems still loom in Darfur – much of which Al Bashir has been blamed for – Hamilton senses that the arrest of Bashir is a necessary first step to ensure a small step forward away from corruption and perhaps towards unity and transparency. Nothing is guaranteed, but the possible arrest could prove to be popular among the Sudanese and force the international community to work on behalf of human rights. “No longer does the dividing line have to be between those who criticize the Sudanese government and those who do not. Instead it can be about those who want to align themselves with legally punishable behavior and those who reject it. Overnight, the costs of lining up silently alongside Khartoum have increased.”
To read Rebecca’s full op-ed piece, visit the site here.