By Grant T. Harris
Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs
Today, President Obama appointed Ambassador Donald Booth as the new U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. A former U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, Zambia, and Liberia, Ambassador Booth is one of our most experienced diplomats and has extensive experience promoting peace and prosperity across the African continent. He is seasoned, determined, and deeply committed to pursuing peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan.
Ambassador Booth joins our Sudan and South Sudan team at a critical time. Working closely with the African Union and our other international partners, he will play a vital role in urging Sudan and South Sudan to make progress on resolving outstanding issues, including the status of the disputed region of Abyei. He will continue U.S. efforts to press for a peaceful and definitive end to the conflicts in Darfur, Southern Kordofan, and Blue Nile as part of a holistic solution to Sudan’s human rights, humanitarian, and governance crises. And he will urge South Sudan to stay focused on protecting its people, meeting their needs, and realizing their aspirations for a more peaceful, prosperous, and democratic future.
As the President told Ambassador Booth today during their meeting in the Oval Office, supporting peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan remains a priority for this Administration. As Ambassador Booth carries forward this important work on behalf of the United States, he does so with the President’s full support.
Statement by the President
Today I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ambassador Donald Booth as the new U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. Ambassador Booth is one of America’s most experienced diplomats, with broad experience helping promote peace and prevent conflict across Africa, including most recently as our Ambassador to Ethiopia. With his considerable diplomatic talents, deep knowledge of the continent, and unwavering determination, I am confident that Ambassador Booth will advance U.S. interests in pursuing a durable and lasting peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan.
As my envoy, Ambassador Booth will spearhead U.S. efforts to press the parties to implement last year’s September 27 agreements and resolve their outstanding issues, including with respect to borders, the final status of Abyei, and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of oil. He will also lead our efforts to bring the conflicts in Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, and Darfur to a peaceful end, and to promote inclusive governance and full respect for human rights in both states.
Much work remains, but we know that when the governments of Sudan and South Sudan show political courage and put the interests of their people first, peace and progress are possible.
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