On December 31, 2007, President George W. Bush signed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 [PDF], ignoring dissent from within his own administration. The bill allowed state, county and municipal offices to divest from companies that did business in or with Sudan, including firms that deal in oil, power production, mining and military equipment. Disagreement stemmed from the bill's potential to allow state and local governments to influence foreign policy, an arena traditionally dictated by the federal government. In addition to existing sanctions against Sudan, the bill aimed to stop violence in the Darfur region.


Coat of arms of Sudan

Learn more about Darfur and Sudan from the JURIST news archive.

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