2.5 million people will contract HIV this year, a disease that is “preventable” according to Elizabeth Pisani, author of “The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS” at a discussion of her book at the Center For Strategic and International Studies today.

Pisani disagrees with the idea that AIDS is a worldwide problem saying, “There is no global HIV epidemic.” She said that parts of Africa, or 10 percent of the world’s population, have 66 percent (40 million people) of reported cases of HIV. She said that the rest of the HIV epidemic is prevalent in people who “sell sex,” gay men, and drug injectors.

She focused on the multitude of interest groups that will not help in the fight to prevent HIV. She said those in the UN will lose money, politicians will lose votes, religious groups will “compromise their morality,” and AIDS activists do not want to bring this problem back to its “bad days.”

Pisani added that the religious “sacred cows” against prevention of HIV are miscalculated. She said the feeling among the religious that providing condoms is a way of promoting sex is misguided. She said, in her experience, carrying condoms “doesn’t make it any easier to get laid.” She also said that the notion that providing needles promotes injection is untrue as well.

In the U.S. , Pisani said that HIV is “a gay male disease.” She said that prevention in America must be focused on that group.

In regards to to treatment of HIV, Pisani stated that she supported treatment, but “We can’t do it without doing better at prevention.”

As the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) by President Bill Clinton nears, Commissioner for the rights of non-Muslims in Sudan, Joshua Dae Diu, spoke at the Hudson Institute about the progress Sudan has made.

“Religion is still a major problem in Sudan. South Sudan has become a secular system where freedom of religion is allowed, while the north is still not allowing non-Muslims to practice their religion,” Diu said.

The CPA says that there are other citizens practicing different religions and traditions that police, judges, and other law enforcement need to remember and to allow. Diu says because of this agreement, the south has moved to allow non-Muslims to practice their religion freely throughout. The north is still an Islamic State and until the elections occur in 2009, the north has refused to change course to allow religious freedom.

“The CPA has tried to address the basic issues that plague Sudan, that is why we have one country with two systems. After six years of having these two systems, what do we do then? We must leave it up to the people in the north and south,” Diu said.

Along with the elections that will take place in 2009, a Census is being held throughout Sudan. Diu said that the Census does not cover who is non-Muslim in the Nation’s Capitol and in Sudan. Diu went on to say that the south should have argued this but they were intimidated by the northern officials. “Because of the south being intimidated by the north we are now stuck, we will have to wait another 10 years for another Census to occur. We can not wait another 10 years to get safety for non-Muslims in Sudan.,” Diu stated.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a hearing on Sudan’s unravelling peace and the challenge that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is facing as Sudan’s election draws closer. The CPA is an agreement between the People’s Liberation Movement and the government of Sudan. It was meant to end the second Sudanese Civil War, develop democratic governance countrywide, and share oil revenues. USCIRF is concerned that the CPA is in jeopardy and that Sudan could easily slip into its third North-South civil war since independence in 1956. “The CPA is the key to Sudan’s success and peace. If it fails so will Sudan,” said USCIRF chairwoman Felice Gaer.

Elections in Sudan are set to be completed no later than July of 2009 and a referendum be done sometime in 2011. Ambassador Richard Williamson said that the election can bring new identity to the south and the south will have the opportunity to have a self-identification. Williamson said that without the elections the referendum cannot happen, and it will hinder the peace between the south and north. “The referendum is the final and most important plank of the CPA. Without it Sudan will fall back into war,” Williamson said during the hearing.

Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Africa (USAID) Earl Gast insisted that without a credible and loyal government in Sudan the elections will fail. “Despite of U.S. investments, preparations for Sudan’s elections are at an impasse and we are nearing a crossroads,” said Gast. Gast also said that at this point in time Sudan’s government is too deformed to be reformed and that Sudan and the U.S. need to come to a resolution before the 2009 elections.

Williamson said that the U.S. needs to call on its allies for support. Since the CPA was signed in 2005, five billion dollars have been distributed to Sudan’s relief fund. “The bulk of the five billion dollars has been spent on keeping people alive day to day. We have not been able to spend the money on helping the two million people that are still displaced, still after three years since the CPA was signed. With the help of U.S. allies, Sudan’s relief fund could help those that have been displaced, ” said Williamson during the hearing. The USCIRF is hoping that the elections will bring Sudan closer to a resolution and allow the Sudanese to live freely in their country.

This morning Senator Bill Frist (R – TN) moderated a panel entitled “American Leadership on Global Health” at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The discussion was hosted by ONE.org and focused on the progress made since President Bush approved PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which nearly quadrupled aid to African nations.

One panel member said that while a large number of people are being treated, more are being infected. Everyone was in agreement that the focus needed to be on education for prevention purposes or else treatment would not matter. One mark of success is the expanded focus on other diseases affecting poor nations throughout Africa.

The need for more money to help ailing African countries was also discussed. Syndicated columnist Michael Gerson said, “Americans will be extremely generous when they feel they have an impact.” Sally Canfield, senior program officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation emphasized the importance of contributions from the government as well as the private sector in order to have a successful fight against issues facing poor countries.
The group also discussed the Millennium Challenge Corporation. They discussed the continued need of MCC to challenge some of the poorest countries to work toward their own prosperity. Resources are currently being dispersed among the countries that have reached certain benchmarks, such as passing women’s rights legislation.

The consensus of the panel was that only phase 1 had been completed and it was time to move to the next stage of expanding knowledge and “not creating an Africa that is dependent on US aid, but creating an Africa that is healthy enough to focus on prosperity in business.”

Radhika Coomaraswamy, United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, discusses her recent mission to Chad and the Central African Republic. Ms. Coomaraswamy’s mission was to meet and work with the governments of Chad and the Central African Republic, as well as UN agencies and non-state actors to discuss the status of children in armed conflict. Ms. Coomaraswamy was pleased to report that Chad will release all children in detention, provide the United Nations with a list of names, and work to reintegrate them into their communities. (2:09)

 

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The United Nations Security Council will go to five nations in Africa, including Sudan and Somalia, over the next week. The press was briefed today about the pending trip by Ambassador Michel Kafando of Burkina Faso; Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert of France; Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo of South Africa; and Ambassador John Sawers of the United Kingdom.

In Somalia, the Security Council will meet with the current government - including the President and Prime Minister, opposition parties, diplomatic community, and “civil society.” Ambassador Kumalo indicated that “all the major players will be there,” and that this is a “great opportunity for the Somalis.”

Regarding the Sudan leg of the trip, the panel indicated that the Security Council will visit Khartoum in the North, as well as Juba and President Salva Kiir in the South. The Sudan leg will focus heavily on Darfur, as well as the progress made by the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Mr. Sawyers stated that it is “clear that UNAMID is building up it’s capability,” but that “there is more to be done.”

Vice Admiral Robert Moeller, deputy to the commander for military operations for the United States African Command (AFRICOM,) says not only will AFRICOM analyze what it needs to do from a military standpoint to assist African partners, but it will also analyze what resources other US government agencies need to carry out their responsibilities to African states. (0:42)

 

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The status and future of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) was discussed at The Brookings Institution by Vice Admiral Robert Moeller, deputy to the commander for military operations. AFRICOM, currently a sub-unified command of the United States European Command (EUCOM), will assume control on Oct. 1, 2008. Tasks currently handled by other unified commands, such as presence in the Horn of Africa, will transfer to AFRICOM on this date. Moeller said that AFRICOM will provide a primary focus on Africa for the United States military, a focus that is currently split between three unified commands. Currently, 500 individuals work for AFRICOM with a goal of 1,300 by fiscal year 2009. (more…)

The United States African Development Program (USADF) held a Board of Directors meeting today, and discussed last months Board Trip to Africa. The board visited Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and other countries where the USADF currently operates projects. (more…)

Ellen Ratner reports on the infrastructure of southern Sudan and aid operations there. (1:23)

 

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