Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA) has called for Malawi to be dropped from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) aid program, in the wake of the country's recent decision to host Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir despite Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC).  In a letter to President Obama, Rep. Wolf asserted that in light of Malawi's actions, if the U.S. continues aid to Malawi, it would be "complicit in aiding a genocidal government."

Bashir has been charged by the ICC with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide stemming from the violence in Darfur.  Malawi is a state party to the ICC, and is therefore obligated to arrest Bashir and any other individuals wanted by the Court as soon as they step foot on its soil.  It's deeply disappointing that Malawi failed to live up to its duty as an ICC member in this case, and I applaud Rep. Wolf for speaking out.  To read CGS's letter thanking Rep. Wolf, click here.

The pattern of failure of ICC state parties like Malawi to arrest Bashir and other indictees and allow them to visit their countries with impunity needs to end.  Chad, Kenya, and Djibouti have already hosted Bashir, which is simply unacceptable.  The ICC will only work when all its members live up to their obligations and refuse to allow war criminals like Bashir to take a holiday from international justice.

Last Friday, President Obama announced that the U.S. will send a small deployment of troops to several countries in Central Africa to help combat the Lord's Resistance Army.  Approximately 100 American soldiers will likely be sent to Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in support of a regional effort to counteract the notorious LRA.

Obama's order follows Congress' passage of the "Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act," which the President signed into law last year.  In a letter to Congressional leaders informing them of the action, Obama noted that "Although the U.S. forces are combat-equipped, they will only be providing information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defense."  Obama noted that "...regional military efforts have thus far been unsuccessful in removing LRA leader Joseph Kony or his top commanders from the battlefield," and therefore, "I have authorized a small number of combat-equipped U.S. forces to deploy to central Africa."

Looking for your first paid step into the world of peace and security organizations? The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship is now accepting applications for the spring 2012 semester. 

Spring fellows will begin between January 15 and April 1, 2012 and work for six to nine months.  Candidates must have a bachelor's degree by the time the fellowship begins; those with graduate degrees may also apply.  All U.S. citizens, as well as non-U.S. citizens living in the U.S. who have an appropriate work permit, are eligible to apply; foreign nationals living outside the U.S. are not.  The deadline for receipt of all materials has been extended to October 10, 2011 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time/21:00 UTC.

Established in 1987, the Scoville Fellowship is a highly-competitive national program  that provides college graduates with the opportunity to gain a Washington  perspective on key issues of peace and security. Supported by a stipend, the fellows serve as  full-time junior staff members at the participating organization of their choice. Citizens for Global Solutons has had some awesome Scoville Fellows!

Many former Scoville Fellows have gone on to pursue graduate degrees in  international relations and related fields and taken prominent positions in the field of peace and security with public-interest organizations, the Federal  Government, and in academia. To date, 135 fellowships have been awarded.

On Wednesday the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY12 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill. The vote brought funding for the U.N.’s regular budget and funding for 15 peacekeeping missions very close to what President Obama originally requested from Congress. Citizens for Global Solutions would like to thank the Senate for understanding the importance of funding international organizations like the U.N., unlike their friends in the House who aimed to slash this vital aid that affects our ability to accomplish our foreign policy goals and national security interests.

In July, when the House took up funding for international organizations and peacekeeping, it dramatically cut these budgets by 20%. This figure may not seem outrageous, but consider this: the entire foreign aid budget makes up less than 1% of the overall budget. As many advocates for the U.N. and international funding have pointed out before, the International Affairs Budget is not an efficient place to make a dramatic effect on the deficit.  This move is unwise because it does not yield any meaningful economic savings, and also has substantial costs to United States leadership, prestige, and influence.

Think about it: Would any organization respect and give leadership roles to a board member who rarely paid their dues on time?