Reply #1: Good piece. Here is a short BG article mentioning th op-ed

[ProSense]

Kerry continues to urge US diplomacy in Sudan, compares situation to Mideast

Posted by Stephanie Vallejo

Senator John Kerry continues his efforts to draw attention to Sudan as a vote to determine the future of the country’s southern region approaches in roughly 100 days.

The referendum, to be held in January, allows for southern Sudan to decide whether to declare its independence from the central government, which Kerry deems the likely outcome in an op-ed featured on CNN’s website today that compares the situation in Sudan to that in the Mideast:

“While there are obviously differences, these situations in the Mideast and Sudan have more in common than the painful process of division. Each features disputes over land and resources, religious and ethnic differences, and conflicting narratives of bloodshed and loss. Time is a critical element in every peace process. And with its referendum fast approaching, Sudan, too, faces the tyranny of the onrushing calendar.”

In the past several weeks, Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has called for a stepped up US diplomatic presence to support a peaceful two-state solution in the country, which saw two million killed in decades of civil war. Kerry delivered promised legislation with a bipartisan bill he co-sponsored in late September, the “Sudan Peace and Stability Act of 2010,” which affirms US commitment to the peace process.

Kudos to Senator Kerry for focusing attention on the Sudanese situation.